Into the Fire
by bale626
Summary: S/I; what happens when myself and other fellow FF authors are flung into the world of Mass Effect and beyond. - *Discontinued*
1. Chapter 1  Discovery

A/N: And so the journey restarts. Heh, I guess you could call this the "respawn" point; one hell of a sucky save-point, if you catch my drift...

Also, be ye warned; this story will not be a strict retelling of the first one. rather, many things will change, other than a few key points that i happen to like, or happen to be important to the story itself. so, sit back, relax, and enjoy the plot-bunnies that invade. well, those, and my plot candy (720 degree plot twists)

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><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 1

Nicholas Perry let out a sigh as he inserted the key to his parents' home, his backpack slung over one shoulder after a long day sitting through a math lecture, one of the many required lectures and classes to take in college. A glance to the left as the door opened and he saw his car, a 2008 fire-engine red Ford Focus, his first and personal favorite car; Nick couldn't help but smile at how many times that car had kept him from getting into a serious accident.

Pushing the door closed behind him, Nick dropped the backpack onto the floor, walking into the kitchen, immediately making a beeline for the refrigerator, holding his "classic" glass coke bottles, one of his many preferences, all thanks to falling in love with the Fallout series of games. It only took him a few seconds to pop the cap off, setting it down to clean off later for his collection with the rest of the caps and bottles, and took a drink of the cola.

After kicking off his shoes, Nick went through the kitchen into the stair-room, leading down to the basement; a large, thirty foot by thirty foot room, the red speckled epoxy absorbing some of the light as he delved into the room, turning the lights on, and admiring the design he and his dad had come up with to keep the room from needing support beams, despite the concrete floor above, all supported by two large thirty-foot concrete and steel reinforced beams. Shaking his head at the momentary lapse in attention, Nick continued to the far side of the room, plopping himself down onto the couch, firing up the xbox 360 sitting in the corner, right next to the family big-screen TV.

As the loading screen came up, Nick glanced back at the basement door, only to have his brow furrow, noticing the door was not only unlocked, but slightly ajar. Quietly setting down the controller, Nick stood up, walked over to the door, and pushed it closed with a click, closing the bolt-lock into place. He slowly walked towards the old part of the basement, the dark area foreboding in the thought that someone could be hiding back there.

"Hello? Is someone there?" Nick's adrenaline levels spiked when he heard a slight gasp from the old part of the basement, followed by some shuffling, a crashing sound, and a feminine gasp of pain. Glancing around, Nick spotted a baseball bat sitting in the corner. Not really sure when it was put there, and not especially caring either, Nick grabbed its handle, and slowly walked towards the old section of basement. As he reached the threshold, he slowly reached his hand towards the light-switch, and quickly flipped it on. Once his eyes refocused, the bat was promptly forgotten, his jaw hanging wide open at the sight before him.

Lying on the ground, a woman in what appeared to be scientists' clothing, judging by the seeming lab coat, was on the floor, her leg pinned beneath a stack of two by fours that had been leaning against one of the old walls, and she was looking at him, panic evident in her eyes; bright, clear blue eyes, surrounded by a blue face, with tentacle-like ridges on her head instead of hair. A quick glance at her entire body and Nick's mind was reeling.

"Wha... what the hell is an Asari doing in my house?" The blue alien just looked up at him, her panicked state overriding everything else. Letting out a sigh, Nick bent down, and carefully began removing the boards that had fallen on top of her. It only took a few seconds, and once they were off, Nick knelt down, and looked at the girl, his hazel eyes meeting her blue ones. "Do you have a name?"

After a few moments of silence, the Asari managed to rediscover her voice, tentatively speaking, "M-my name is L-Liara; Liara T'soni." Nick's jaw dropped again, his eyes as wide as saucers at this revelation. The Liara's face took on a confused expression. "I-is there something wrong with my name?"

After a few more moments of Nick's stunned silence, he began massaging his temples, standing up and pacing back and forth, muttering under his breath in unintelligible speech, his voice laced with confusion, annoyance, anger, and frustration. Liara simply laid where she had fallen, massaging her leg where the boards had fallen on it, watching Nick pace. Finally, Nick stopped, took a deep, cleansing breath, and turned to Liara, his voice much calmer. "First off, my name is Nick. Do you know how you came to be here?"

Now having something to focus on, Liara gingerly sat up, her eyes getting a distant look as she delved into her memories. "I was in my ship, a small cargo vessel, only lightly armored, and I had just left the relay to head for the planet Therum, having found out about some likely Prothean ruins. Before I could come near the planet, some kind of spatial disruption appeared in front of me, and pulled my ship in before I could react; the next thing I knew, I was above this world, my ship only partially functioning, and I couldn't escape the gravitational pull of the planet, so I did my best to land as safely as I could." Liara made a hand gesture, "I crashed not too far from here. Not really knowing what was going on, I ran here to hide. I didn't know this was a Human world."

Nick nodded, a pressure headache building just behind his eyes at his cursed luck. He knelt down in front of the young Asari again, "Liara, that spatial disturbance must have brought you here, because your universe; the Asari, the Citadel, Turians, Salarians, none of them exist here." Liara's brow-ridge furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean? Of course they exist!" Without another word, Nick stood up, and extended his hand to Liara. She looked at it somewhat tentatively, cautiously, before accepting his hand, and was lifted off the ground, standing only a few inches shorter than Nick. Before Liara could say anything more, Nick gestured for her to follow him, walking towards the xbox in the far corner of the basement. Digging through a cabinet, Nick pulled out a small green case, very thin and with a man on the front, standing in the silhouette of a planet. The title Mass Effect was visible on the top.

As Nick extended the case to Liara, she took it from him, examining the cover, before rotating it to look at the back. As she looked closer, Liara gasped in shock, seeing her own name in the text, as well as a picture that looked similar to her, if slightly digitized by the computer effect of the game. Nick then spoke, "If you want to know the whole story, you can do your whole mind-meld thing with me, and I'll show you all I can safely show you about what I know, and help you understand."

Liara looked at Nick somewhat suspiciously, "Why would you want to do that? I don't even know who you are." Nick nodded, before glancing over to a clock, and sitting down at the desk in the middle of the room, turning on the computer.

"Well, for one, if your ship crashed, then the government knows about it, which means they'll come looking for you, so if they aren't already here, they will be soon. Whatever you left in that ship, consider it lost, because once they get their hands on it, they'll never let it go. Two, if they get their hands on you, they will likely experiment on you, torture you, then kill you to dissect you and find out everything they can about you."

Liara's blue skin paled as his description went on. "H-how could your government do such a thing? The Alliance-" Nick held up his hand, interrupting her.

"There is no Systems Alliance here, Liara. It's the year 2011, and the Earth has a myriad of governments. The United States of America is where you are right now, and they like to take what they don't have, by force if necessary. Granted, you don't know me; but right now, I may very well be risking my life by helping you."

Liara's eyes widened at his statement. "And why would you do that for me? Is the United States of America not your country; your government?"

Nick stopped his typing, let out a sigh, then turned to face Liara. "Look, you're a fellow sentient, regardless of your species; you didn't ask for this, any more than I asked to have an alien drop in my back yard and break into my house. Thing is, that's what has happened, and I'm just gonna live with it." He then turned and began typing again.

Curious now, Liara stepped up behind him, and asked, "What are you doing?"

Without looking up, Nick spoke, "I'm sending out some messages. I like to write sci-fi stories in my spare time, and the universe you're from happens to be one of them. I also know a few others who do the same thing, and I'm sending them a message to meet me in Canada, where the headquarters is to the company that created that game I showed you. On top of that, I'm sending them a message to tell them who I am, who I have with me, and why I'm coming there."

Liara looked closer at the screen, and could make out the names on the screen; Herr Wozzeck and Sarge1995. "Are those people you know?"

Nick just shrugged, "I don't really know them, other than stories they've written. But the way I figure, if I'm going to try to help you, I may as well find other people who would be willing to help as well."

As Nick finished typing, and was in the process of closing down the computer, helicopters could be heard coming near the area. Worried, Nick jumped up from the seat, and ran towards the back door. Half running, he threw open the door, gestured to Liara to wait where she was, and went outside, out from underneath the large wooden deck. Looking into the sky, Nick was shocked to see over two dozen military-grade helicopters, all moving towards a thin column of smoke rising into the sky.

Without a second thought, Nick ran back into the house, locking the door, and running through the house, Liara hot on his heels, as he grabbed his backpack, a Swiss Army make, and began dumping the college books and papers onto the floor. As an afterthought, Nick grabbed a blank piece of paper, and wrote a short note to his parents, before moving through the house and grabbing some essentials; some food, a few water bottles, his 48 hour survival kit, and his pistol from his twenty first birthday.

Stopping, Nick looked at Liara, before grimacing, "Look, that outfit will stand out anywhere we go, not to mention the fact that no Human has blue skin, or tentacles instead of hair." Thinking quickly, Nick grabbed ahold of Liara's hand, pulling her up the stairs to the second floor, into one of the spare bedrooms. Grabbing some clothing that was being stored there, he thrust it into the Asari's hands. "Here, put these on. I know they aren't exactly your size, but they're the only clothes my sisters left before they moved out. This is called a Hoodie; after you put it on, pull the hood over your head, and try to keep your face shaded. The better we can hide your skin, the longer we can keep you from being discovered."

Nick closed the door on the hapless doctor, moving through the house and grabbing anything else he thought he could possibly need, including his stash of emergency cash, amounting to somewhere around two hundred dollars. As soon as he had packed up the things he figured he'd need, he brought out another empty bag for Liara's clothing, so it wouldn't get left behind. As he moved back up the stairs, Liara stepped out of the spare room, wearing the clothing he had handed her, the hood pulled up over her head. "Like this, Nick?"

Nick just smiled, "Yeah, just like that. Now come on, we need to get moving."

The two of them grabbed the bags in the kitchen, but before Nick could leave, he was hit with the realization that this time, he could be leaving for good, without having ever said goodbye. Setting his jaw, Nick turned to Liara, "Look, there's a stop I'd like to make before we go; I just want to say goodbye to my parents..."

Liara just nodded, a look of understanding painting her features. Without another word, Nick turned off all the lights and things in the house, grabbing his keys, and the two of them walked out the house, with Nick locking the door behind them. Slowly, acting calm, the two of them loaded the bags into the trunk of the Focus, before getting into the car. As the doors closed, Nick started the car, causing Liara to jump. Nick glanced at her, smirking. "What, never been inside a vehicle that runs off of a combustion engine before?" Without waiting for her reply, Nick put gas into the engine, causing the Focus to shoot forward, immediately veering onto the road, but well under the speed limit.

The drive to where Nick's parents worked was a quiet one, neither of them saying much of anything. As the Focus pulled into a parking spot, Nick motioned for Liara to follow, getting out of the car. Looking up at the sign for the county convention and visitors' bureau, Nick took a deep breath before stepping into the building. Nick smiled as he saw his parents, both at their two desks in the entire rented building, working at their computers.

As they looked up, they both saw him, and smiled, as his mom stood up. "Nick, what're you doing here? It's good to see you... wait, who is that?" Nick took a deep breath, before pulling Liara into the office, and closing the door behind them.

After closing the door, Nick's dad spoke up, "Nick, who's that with you? And what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be home from school today."

Nick took a deep breath, before responding, "Mom, dad, you remember that one game that I've been playing for quite a while now, right? The one called Mass Effect, with all those aliens and the big squid-looking thing?" Both of them nod, so Nick continued, "Well, apparently, it isn't as fake as I originally thought. Liara, go ahead and pull down that Hoodie." As she did so, both of his parents let out a startled gasp. Not giving them any time to respond, Nick continued, "She's called an Asari; she crash-landed her ship here, and the government swarmed the wreckage. If I hadn't found her in our basement, they probably would have taken her, and experimented on her. That's why we're here."

Nick took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair, before getting to the big issue, "I'm getting her out of here; I'm going to try to find a ship to get her back to where she belongs, even if it's a slim chance at best. The fate of an entire galaxy may very well depend on it."

After a moment, his dad spoke up, "So what's the big problem? Find her a ship, and get her out of here. Assuming that what you're telling us isn't some kind of sick joke."

Hearing this, Liara stepped forward, "I assure you, I am no fake." With a wave of her hand, a book on the desk was surrounded by a blue glow, and suddenly began levitating, surprising both of Nick's parents.

Taking advantage of the momentary silence, he finished, "The issue is that I may very well have to go with her. Once the government finds out that I know about her, and kept her from them, they'll likely throw me in a prison cell, and throw away the key."

His dad then responded, "Nick, listen to what you're saying! You're talking about throwing away your life for this girl; she's not even Human! You're talking crazy!"

Before he could say anymore, Nick held up his hand, and in a quiet tone, ended the argument, "Dad, what would grandpa say?"

He could see the grim look on his father's face to his statement, unwilling to say anything more, as well as the tears threatening to spill over in his mother's eyes.

"I'm sorry, but if I don't help her, no one will. I know I may not be coming home, but it's a risk I'm willing to take."

After letting out a sigh, Nick's father stepped up to him, and put his hands onto his shoulders. "Nick, you have a full life ahead of you. You're an adult now, so this is your decision to make. Your mother and I will support you, whatever you decide. And if you do leave... w-we'll miss you, son." Nick tried his hardest not to break down at the sight of his father shedding a tear, his hands trembling slightly on his shoulders. Nick nodded to him, before turning towards his mother, moving over to embrace her as she cried openly. Her sobs wracking against his body only making his decision that much more difficult.

After what felt like only nanoseconds, Nick pulled away from his parents, his own tears falling now, and began to step away. "I'm sorry, mom, dad; but I have to do this."

Both of them nodded, crying, but smiling all the same. His dad spoke, "We know you'll make us proud, whatever happens. We raised you as best we could. If we hadn't, you wouldn't be making this decision to help her." Nick nodded, before reaching down onto his mother's desk, and picking up a portrait of Nick, his parents, and his five older sisters, a picture taken only a few months prior during a family vacation. He held it up, questioningly. His father nodded, "You can take it; we can print out another one."

Nick nodded, sliding the picture out of the frame and putting it into his pocket. With another hug for his mom, and a handshake with his dad, Nick turned, and without looking back, left the building, Liara in tow, and re-entered the car. His face still red, Nick pulled the car out, turned on his GPS, and began the long drive towards Canada. As they pulled onto the road, Liara spoke up, "You are giving up your life to help me; why would you do such a thing?"

Nick spared a momentary glance towards her, before looking back to the road, considering how best to answer the innocent question. After thinking, Nick responded, "Because it's the right thing to do; and because if my grandpa were still alive, he'd have done the same thing to help you, as he was just that kind of man, the kind that every man wishes they could be."

They continued on the road in silence for a while, driving along the interstate highways towards the East, travelling out of central Ohio before swinging north towards Canada.

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><p>Director Samuel Watkins walked through the high security doors, having given his fingerprint, voice confirmation, and iris scan, and nodded at the large array of screens covering three of the four massive walls, a familiar sight in his line of work. Without waiting, he spoke aloud to everyone in the room, "Alright, people, I want a status report on that crashed ship in Ohio; what do we know?"<p>

One of the aids sitting at a computer terminal spoke up, "We've secured the crash-site, evacuated the nearby area of all civilians under a hazardous material spill cover."

Another aid spoke, "We've initiated search patterns, so far no sign of the occupant."

"We had a report stating that one of the resident civilians left with an unidentified person as our forces moved in to secure the crash. Working on locating him now."

Without even knowing more facts, Samuel had a gut instinct screaming at him, and he had learned long ago that his gut was rarely wrong. "Alright people, I want to know everything about this civilian; name, birth-date, family, friends, everything." With that, the commotion began, and the name Nicholas Perry suddenly took on a life of its own, rising to the top of the list of most wanted people within the secret room full of people with hidden agendas.

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><p>As they came up to a rest stop, Nick pulled the car in, and after putting it into park, turned it off. Liara turned towards him questioningly, "What are we doing?"<p>

Nick turned towards Liara as he opened the door, "I'm just stretching my legs a bit, probably going to grab a candy bar or something." Liara gave Nick a very confused look.

"What is a candy bar?"

Nick just smiled, before closing the door, leaving Liara to sit inside the car, still confused. As he walked into the small pavilion, he pulled out his wallet, taking out a few one dollar bills, before buying a Twix bar, a snickers bar, and a cherry coke. After a moment of consideration, Nick pulled out his iPod touch, and began searching for a Wi-Fi signal. Finding one, he looked through his email, and smiled as he read the messages in his inbox.

Nick quickly jogged back to his car, and practically jumped in as he did so. Liara looked at him questioningly, "Why are you suddenly so excited?"

As Nick smiled widely, opening the Twix bar for himself, replied, "Those two guys I sent messages to? they've already responded. They both happen to be in New York for some kind of Bioware held Mass Effect convention. Quite honestly the perfect place for you to blend in and get lost. As for Bioware, they said they would have representatives meet us at that same convention, and they'd help us from there. They said something about 'having what we'd need,' whatever the hell that's supposed to mean." After a moment, Nick looked down at his hands, then remembering the snickers bar, handed it to Liara. "Here; this is a candy bar, made with chocolate, peanuts, caramel, and a crunchy wafer."

Liara timidly took the candy bar, and after a moment of studying it, opened the wrapper. She tentatively sniffed at the snickers bar, before taking a hesitant bite. As soon as she could taste it, her eyes grew wide, the corners of her mouth shot up, and she took a much bigger bite, and tried to speak through her now-full mouth, "Thish ish sho grwood!" Liara's brow-ridge furrowed as Nick began laughing hard at her, "What?"

After a few moments, Nick managed to regain his self control, but still smiling, replied, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but laugh; most people don't talk with their mouths full, as humans consider it impolite. I just thought it was funny how excited you seemed to be by the taste of the candy bar." Liara, now slightly annoyed at being laughed at, started to pout as she continued to eat her snickers bar, causing Nick to laugh more as he pulled the car out of the parking lot.

As they continued down the road, Liara looked out the windows avidly, taking in all the sights, especially the trees covered in a thin veil of snow. Nick glanced over towards her, before shaking his head. "So, what do you think of Earth? Well, this pre-spaceflight Earth, anyways."

Liara just shook her head, continuing to look out the windows, "This is absolutely spectacular. To see an area developed like this, and yet still so close and connected with the nature around them. Most civilizations cover their planets in technology and industry by the time they reach space, so to see a planet with nature tamed but not destroyed... it truly is a marvelous sight. I only wish I could see more of it." Nick didn't say anything for a while, but just continued to drive as the Asari unceasingly watched out the windows.

After a few hours, Nick noticed that his head was starting to hurt, and he began rubbing one of his temples with his right hand. Liara, noticing the movement, turned towards him. "Are you alright, Nick?"

He nodded his head, "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine, Liara. Just a bit of a headache." Liara looked at him again, somewhat skeptically.

"Do you usually get headaches?" Nick shook his head, but didn't say anything. Liara pressed on, "Did you see anything leaking from my ship? Any clouds of odd-colored smoke or anything?"

Nick furrowed his brow in thought, mentally looking back as to what he saw. "Now that you mention it, I think the smoke had a strange blue hue around it, but I didn't think anything of it." Liara's eyes grew wide with the discovery.

"Did you inhale any of it?"

Nick glanced over towards her, an eyebrow raised at her as though she were losing it for freaking out about the smoke. "Yeah, I did. It was kind of hard not to, when the wind was blowing it our direction." Hearing that, Liara started to mutter under her breath, her breathing rate increasing quite a bit. "Liara? Hey, talk to me; what's wrong?"

She looked over towards him, her eyes wide. "Nick, you may have inhaled element zero vapors." Nick started to think about it, before the realization hit him in the gut like a sucker-punch.

"It could kill me if I inhaled too much." A glance at the look on Liara's face told him all he needed to know.

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><p>Brendan stood inside the massive New York convention center, looking around at all of the various Bioware displays; though they covered many of the popular games produced by the company, Mass Effect completely dominated the entire facility, being that the final game in the trilogy was only a month away from release. With a sigh, he stepped away from the banister he had been leaning on, and began slowly walking between the booths, his mind light years away from the entire convention.<p>

'How could Bale have _Liara_ of all people end up in his basement? How the hell could she even be _here on Earth?_ It's just a videogame, right? And he said that he's communicated with me, Herr Wozzeck, and Bioware. Would Bioware even believe him?' With a shake of his head, he tried to clear the thoughts out of his mind, just as he ran headlong into someone.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that." The man turned around, and just shrugged with a slight smirk on his face.

"No biggie; you here for the Mass Effect convention, too?"

Brendan nodded, "Yeah; well, that, and I'm waiting for someone. By the way, the name's Brendan." The other guy held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Brendan; I'm Art. You here by yourself?" Brendan gave him a nod, before glancing around the place, then responding.

"Yeah, my parents gave me the cash for the ticket out here, told me to be careful and have fun, and haven't really said much more other than that. What about you?"

Art seemed to grimace slightly, before letting out a sigh, "Yep, I'm alone... though you wouldn't think it, by the amount of times my parents keep texting me to check up on me. I love 'em dearly, but they drive me absolutely _nuts_ some days." Art looked around a bit, before turning back towards Brendan, "Wait, you said you were waiting for someone?"

Brendan nodded, "Yeah, he told me he'd be here sometime today, though probably later on."

Art's brow furrowed, "Really? That's a hell of a coincidence; I'm waiting for someone too. I don't really know him, but he says it's important, so for now I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt."

His curiosity piqued, Brendan asked, "So, who would you happen to be waiting for?"

Art looked at Brendan, suspicion obviously painted across his face, "Oh, no one in particular; just someone I've talked with on a website called Fan Fiction dot net."

Hearing that, Brendan's jaw dropped. "You too?" His brow furrowed slightly, before his eyes shot wide open, "Wait, I thought the name Art sounded familiar; you're Herr Wozzeck! I've read your stories! Damn good ones, too, compared to some stories on that site."

Art gave Brendan a once-over, before his eyes widened as well; "Jesus Christ on a pikestaff! Are you Sarge '95? The one that Bale referred to in his message?"

Brendan nodded, "The one and only." After a few moments of awkward pause, Brendan cleared his throat, asking, "So... do you think Bale is actually legit about this? I mean, finding _Liara_ of all people in his basement..."

Art grimaced, "I'm not sure what to believe. Sure, it'd be pretty rad if he's telling the truth. The way I figure, though, the best-case scenario would be that he's coming here, he was bullshitting us, and we all get a great laugh out of it."

Brendan turned away, only glancing back at Art, "And worst-case?"

Art simply sighed before responding, "Then it's a race to get Liara back to her own dimension in time for Shepard to find her, and avoid the coming of the Reapers. Again."

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><p>Casey Hudson sat in his hotel room, looking down at the secure laptop he had brought with him, reading and rereading the email he had received from the individual referring to himself as 'Bale626,' as well as the other two people he had included in his rescue of Liara, and their attempt to help her get off-world. He couldn't help but smile, knowing just how much of a big deal this truly was. A voice sounded behind him, taking his attention away from the computer.<p>

"You know that if they're telling the truth, we're the only chance they have at getting off this planet, right?" Hudson just nodded, letting out a sigh as he did. After a few moments, Hudson turned around, and faced the figure hiding in the shadow of the room.

"You know, you could still go with them; it's not as though..." Casey's voice trailed off as the man held up a hand, gesturing for him to stop.

"You know I won't do that. I've already made my peace, Casey. This is my world now, and here I will stay. But as you said, this could mean victory or defeat for another dimension like mine, if she goes or stays. If this 'Bale' character," The man let out a mirthful chuckle at the name, "Can manage to bring her here, and get her back to where she belongs, then we'll have succeeded where I failed."

Hudson merely nodded, "Well then, did you want to send the response?"

The man nodded, and as he stepped out of the shadows, a well-polished set of armor came into view, the N7 emblem shining in the sunlight from the window.

* * *

><p>AN: sorry if the parent scene was a bit of a tear-jerker, but I felt it was something that needed to be addressed; no one really covers that scenario, and it's rather important, if you're the kind of person who cares about your parents.


	2. Chapter 2 The Gang's All Here

A/N: so, I posted the first chapter around one a.m. on a Friday night, and within twenty minutes I had two reviews. In _twenty minutes._ All I have to say is holy shit, I apparently have fans.

I'm going to apologize right now if you don't really like the skipping around; unfortunately, I feel it's the best way to over the different perspectives, all at a similar time, so that way things still make sense. I'll try my best to make sure you know who is who while the story goes on, so that it is the least confusing as I can make it.

So, I'm hoping one of you myriad of fans happens to be an artist, as I was wanting to have a picture done for my story; nothing extremely fancy, though. Some detail, definitely, but not overly complicated. If you're a competent/good artist, send me a PM and let me know, and I'll send you a description of what I'd like.

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><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 2

Nick couldn't help but be amused at the way Liara would continue to watch out the windows, completely fascinated by both the natural world, and the artificial one around her, all made by man without any outside interference. After a while, Liara turned away from the window, and looked at him. "Nick, when I asked about why you were helping me, you mentioned your grandfather; who was he?"

Nick let out a sigh, before running a hand through his hair, his other hand on the steering wheel. "My grandpa's name was Jack; he died when I was just barely a few months old. I've grown up listening to stories about him, and how good of a man he was. He would always go out of his way to help people, even if it took a lot of time and effort to do so. Everyone would tell me about how he and I would have been buddies, and how much I would have learned from him. Ever since, I've tried to use his example to live by."

Nick glanced over at Liara, and saw that she was staring intently at him, a curious look on her face. So Nick asked, "What about you? What kind of life have you lived?"

Liara looked away, back out the window to the car, before responding, "W-well, there's not much to tell, really. I've spent most of my life alone, working in Prothean dig sites. I tend to avoid conversations with people, as I generally make a fool of myself. I end up saying the wrong things, or confusing what other people say to me."

Nick nodded, "I think I understand; the Protheans make more sense to you, because looking back on them, on their history and their artifacts, they seem much more logical to you, as compared to interacting with people in the here and now, where emotions and conversational nuances come into play."

Liara just smiled at his description, "Yes, it is that, exactly."

The two continued on in silence for the next few minutes, until Nick began to notice the setting sun, as well as his rapidly dwindling energy reserves. Looking at one of the off ramps, Nick glanced over towards Liara. "Would it be alright if we stopped at a hotel for a few hours? I need to get a little bit of sleep so I don't end up falling asleep at the wheel."

The Asari nodded, "Yes, that would be fine."

Nick turned the wheel to the car, taking the vehicle off of the highway, and into the hotel parking lot not even fifty feet from the off ramp. As he pulled into a spot, and turned the vehicle off, Nick turned towards Liara, "Now, I want you to stay here, and make sure you keep yourself covered; I don't want someone to discover you and end up getting us caught. I can't help you if we're found and get captured, now can I?" The young Asari nodded, and Nick exited the car, locking it behind him.

Stepping into the front door, the concierge smiled at him, clearly pleased at having another potential guest checking in. "Hi, welcome to the Marriott Hotel. Are you looking to check out a room?"

"Yeah, one room for two people."

"One bed or two?"

"Two, please."

The concierge began typing into his computer, "Alright, let me see... hmmm, it seems the only room we have available is the honeymoon suite."

Nick's jaw twitched at that, "I-I'm sorry, what?"

The concierge explained, "You see, there's some kind of convention over in New York, and they've brought in such a crowd that all of the hotels for miles around are completely booked, especially around the highways, and our hotel is no exception. All of our rooms are filled except for the honeymoon suite."

Nick began massaging his temples, a dull throbbing beginning to form behind his eyes. Letting out a sigh, Nick asked, "Alright, fine. How much will it cost?"

Inputting more commands into his computer, the concierge looked at the screen, before glancing up at Nick, and putting in a few more buttons. "Well, the normal rate is approximately one hundred eighty three, plus tax, but I'll help you out; I'll charge you the normal one twenty for a room, since that's what you were trying to get anyways." He looked around, before leaning towards Nick, whispering, "Just don't tell anyone. I could get my ass fired for it."

Nick nodded, a relieved smile on his face, "Don't worry about it, thanks for helping a guy out."

He just gave a slight grunt of a response, before pulling out a digital keycard, and handed it over to Nick. "It's on the third floor, far east side of the building."

Nick turned and walked out of the hotel, and got back into the car to pull it around. Liara glanced over at him, an expectant look on her face, "Well? Were you able to purchase the use of a room?"

Nick grimaced slightly, not entirely sure how Liara would react, "Y-yeah, I got a room. I tried to get a standard room with two beds, but..." Nick sighed, before deciding to just bite the bullet and tell her, "The only room they had available only has one bed."

Liara, strangely enough, just gave a single nod, "Is that not satisfactory?"

Nick, now caught somewhere between confusion and mortification, turned towards her, "Liara, the thought of sharing a bed with me doesn't bother you?"

Liara, in her seeming ignorance, did not quite grasp the usual implications involved with such an act, and responded, "It is merely a bed."

Rubbing his eyes, Nick just let out a sigh, "Liara, the usual connotation between two people sharing a bed like that usually involves more... intimate... behavior."

At first, Liara's brow merely furrowed, before her eyes shot wide open, and her mouth opened slightly into an 'o' shape. "Oh, I-I am sorry, I did not understand-"

Nick held up his hand, "Don't worry about it, Liara. I'll let you take the bed, as I'm sure there's a couch or something up there I can sleep on. If nothing else, there's always the floor."

Without giving Liara a chance to respond, Nick stepped out of the car, opening the trunk to get the suitcase with clothing for the two of them, and walked towards the door with Liara in tow. They both entered, and immediately turned to the right, taking the elevator to the third floor. The trip up was as quiet as it was uneventful. Thankfully, they did not run into anyone, though with Liara's hood pulled up over her head, shading her face, it would not have made much difference if they had.

As they reached the door, Nick slid the keycard in the slot, unlocking the handle mechanisms, allowing the two of them access into the room. Stepping in, Nick couldn't help but inhale, enjoying the distinctly unique smell that exists only in hotel establishments. Liara, on the other hand, scrunched up her nose at the smell, before sneezing, a light, airy sound compared against a Human sneeze. Nick couldn't help but chuckle slightly. Liara turned towards him, a questioning look on her face.

Nick turned towards her, still smiling, "I'm sorry, it's just I don't think I've ever seen or heard of an Asari sneezing before; it was never in any of the games, so I never even considered the possibility, I guess."

Liara just shook her head, "I find it strange that you find something as annoying as a sneeze amusing."

As Liara entered the main part of the large room, her eyes fell on the bed, and her jaw fell slightly, parting her lips just enough to be noticeable. "By the goddess..."

Nick moved to her side, concerned, "Is something wrong?"

After a moment, the Asari just shook her head, as though clearing her thoughts, "I-I'm sorry, it's just that... I have never seen a bed quite that large before."

Nick merely laughed as he moved towards the rather large couch, already pulling out a blanket he had brought with him.

* * *

><p>Art sat at the bench, holding the mostly ignored soda can in his hand, while looking around at the passing convention goers, all heading towards their respective hotels. A glance across the table told him that Brendan was still there, happily munching away at his cheeseburger. Art couldn't help but smirk slightly at the sight of his seemingly unflappable dinner buddy, and accomplice in this supposed plot.<p>

After a few moments, Brendan looked up from his food, and noticing the look on Art's face, swallowed, and asked, "Hey, something up?"

Art regarded him for a moment, before nodding, "Yeah, I just keep thinking about what Bale told us. I just don't see any way it could be possible. Now don't get me wrong, I doubt there's really any threat to anyone here, but I figure I'd feel a lot more comfortable with someone I know here; so earlier, while you were grabbing your dinner, I gave my friend Joc a call. She should be here first thing in the morning, so long as there aren't any problems between now and then."

Brendan nodded, before setting the remaining half of his burger down. "You know, that's actually a pretty smart idea. Wait, is she a friend from Florida? How the hell is she going to be here by tomorrow?"

Art smirked at him, before responding, "Simple. She lives an hour away from here." At Brendan's raised eyebrow, Art elaborated, "We're friends through Fanfiction, much the same way you and I are; that being said, my parents were absolutely thrilled by the prospect of me hanging out with a girl; you'd think they were trying to get me shacked up with someone or something."

Brendan stared at Art for a few moments, before both of them burst out laughing, neither of them able to control themselves. After a minute or two, they finally start to calm down, Art wiping a tear out of his eye from laughing so hard. Before either of them could say anything, both of them turned at the sound of a male voice, tinged with a noticeable accent, "Art? Is that you?"

Art looked at the owner of the voice, only for his jaw to drop. "Holy shit on a single, Ian!" Art stood up from his seat, and stepped forward, grabbing Ian into a bear hug. "Dude, what the hell are you doing here?"

As Ian took a step back, he just shrugged, "What do you think? I'm here for the convention. Blew a fair chunk of my college fund to get here, but so far it's been worth it. So Art, who's this?"

Art took a step back, and held out his hand, gesturing towards the third person, "Ian, this here is Brendan, or as you might know him, Sarge1995." Brendan took that as his cue to give a somewhat sarcastic bow, a smile plastered on his face. Art then turned to Brendan, "And this is Ian, Brendan, or as you would know him as, iNf3ctioNZ."

Brendan and Ian then shook hands, a smile on both of their faces. Ian then spoke up, "So, what've you two been up to? Anything interesting got your attention?" Brendan and Art just looked at each other, neither one entirely sure what to say. "Oh, come on, it can't be that bad, can it?"

At this, Art started laughing again, but Brendan seemed to become more serious. "Actually, Ian, it might very well be more serious than any of us could imagine."

Ian just raised an eyebrow, "Try me."

Art, having regained control again, let out a sigh, "Alright, you know that one guy, Bale626, from FF, right?" Ian nodded, so Art continued, "Well, we both got a message from him earlier today, saying that he had found _Liara_ in his basement, and was bringing her here, and asked for our help."

At first, Ian just scoffed at him. "Oh come on, seriously? That's the best you can come up with? I mean, I think I could come up... with..." He stopped, looking at the two others, realizing that neither of them looked as though they were joking. Ian stood there, staring at Art, for over a full minute, not moving, not saying anything. Finally, he shook his head rapidly, as though shaking something off of his head, "Y-you're kidding, right? This is a joke; it's got to be some kind of sick joke."

Art just shrugged, "I don't know, buddy. That's honestly all we know, so we're just gonna wait and see what happens. I've already called one of my friends to be here when he does show up, just in case it's more than just some kind of practical joke."

Ian just shook his head, taking a seat at the table, muttering under his breath.

* * *

><p>Samuel Watkins watched from the back of the room as his agents continued to work, leaning against the wall with his arms folded, wishing that they would have caught the alien before it had given them the slip. One of the agents finally spoke up after what had felt like an eternity.<p>

"Sir, we have a reported sighting of the civilian escorting the target. Security feeds confirm the vehicle in question, 2008 Ford Focus, red, with registered license plate F*****0 pulling into a hotel on the border of Pennsylvania and New York."

Samuel stood up, and walked behind the agent who had spoken. "Do we have anything more? Is the alien with him?"

"I believe so, sir; he ordered a room for two."

He nodded, before turning and slowly pacing through the room. "How quickly can we get assets on location?"

The sounds of keyboards being utilized filled the entire room, before someone found out the information first, "The nearest assets are at least three hours away." Samuels cursed under his breath, when another voice rang out.

"Sir, I ran a projected course into the system; it appears they're headed for the Mass Effect convention in New York."

Samuel nodded mostly to himself, before speaking aloud, "Have the assets move to the convention. We will intercept them there."

* * *

><p>Nick yawned as consciousness returned to him, and he glanced at the nearby clock, letting out a groan as he saw it was only five in the morning. Flipping the covers off of his body, Nick glanced over to the bed, and his brow furrowed in confusion as he realized the bed was empty. Sitting up, he looked around the room, his eyes settling onto the bathroom door. Seeing the door closed with the light on beneath, Nick breathed out a sigh of relief, knowing that Liara was likely just using the bathroom or showering.<p>

He stood up, and stretched his arms out, trying to unknot the muscles in his shoulders from sleeping on the less-than-ideal couch. Looking down at his clothing, Nick grimaced at the excessively wrinkled shirt, and quickly moved to the suitcase in the middle of the room, pulling out a folded shirt to wear. He pulled the old shirt over his head, dropping it onto the floor, and getting ready to put the clean one on, when the door to the bathroom opened, and Liara stepped out, wearing nothing but a towel, when they both froze in place, stunned into silence and stillness.

Nick noticed Liara's eyes drift down to his chest and stomach, his abs clearly visible, the product of years worth of lifting weights to shut up the childhood bullies who had once mocked him for his weight. It took all of his self control to not examine Liara's body closer, the towel hugging her petite form snugly, leaving little to the imagination. After what felt like forever, Nick finally blinked, and looked down at the floor.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know you were, um, uh, in the, uh, shower."

"I-it's alright, um, Nick, it was, hmm, not your fault."

Nick quickly put the shirt on, and walked around Liara, heading into the bathroom to give Liara some privacy.

A few awkward minutes later, Nick and Liara walked out the back door of the hotel, each carrying a suitcase, and put them into the trunk of the car. Nick spared a glance at Liara as he closed the trunk, thankful that she still had the Hoodie on, covering her head. They both got into the car, and as Nick started the vehicle, he pulled out his cell phone, he checked his email, his eyes widening at the number of messages. Reading through them, he let out a sigh, before pocketing his phone again, and reprogramming his GPS. Liara, ever curious, spoke up.

"Nick, what are you doing?"

Nick turned to her as he reset the GPS on his dash. "Well, it would appear that our friends are already in a convention in New York, as is the representative of the Bioware company we want to meet. The funny thing is that this convention is for the Mass Effect game coming out in a month; the one that ends the entire series. In any case, it should be a perfect hiding place for you."

Liara's brow furrowed, "Why is that?"

Nick just smirked, "Because there will be hundreds of people dressed to look like various races from your galaxy, all as costumes. You'll just look like anyone else, so I wouldn't have to hide you like I am now."

* * *

><p>Nick couldn't help but smile as Liara, now with her hood down, was openly gaping at the skyscrapers of New York city. She had pulled the hood back, letting her head out. People would occasionally glance over at Liara, but no one paid too much attention, as there were hundreds of advertisements everywhere for the ME convention, with various pictures; some with Krogan, others with Asari, a few even with Quarians. The most frequent one, however, was the picture of the default male Shepard, standing there in the classic N7 armor, with a picture of a Reaper in the background, presumably Harbinger.<p>

Finally, the convention center came into sight, and Nick breathed out a sigh of relief. Quickly pulling over, Nick stopped the car by the front entrance, and getting out, just as a chauffeur walked over, "Would you like me to park your car, sir?"

Nick smiled, nodding, and handed the keys over, "Thanks." The chauffeur just nodded to him, and took the keys, getting into the drivers' seat, taking the car out of the drive onto the road. Nick couldn't help but have a feeling in his gut about the chauffeur, but he quickly dismissed it, focusing more on the fact that he was here with Liara, and he needed to keep her safe. The two of them walked into the convention center, and Nick couldn't help but wonder for the umpteenth time what he was getting himself into.

* * *

><p>Ian, Brendan, and Art all sat around the table, eating their breakfast, when they heard a girl's voice call out, "Hey, Art! Who's the posse?" Art grinned, put down his food, and turned towards the origin of the sound.<p>

"Hey Joc! I was wondering how long it would take you to get here." As the girl walked up to the group, Art introduced her, "Alright guys, this is my friend Jocelyn. I call her Joc, but that's only because we've been friends for a while, so it's just Jocelyn to you."

Joc just smiled at them all, "Hi guys." The rest of the group gave them their welcome.

Art grinned, before turning back towards the girl, "So, how was the drive here?"

Jocelyn just glared at him for a few moments, before responding, "I thought I was going to kill someone. I mean, holy fuck, are all the drivers here complete and total idiots? Ugh." Art just laughed, causing Joc to glare at him more.

Ian cleared his throat, "Alright, _ladies_, can we focus now? Please?" Brendan opened his mouth to add his input, when someone cleared their throat, standing behind Art and Joc. As the two of them spun around, stepping back towards the table, the group of four found themselves face to face with a group of two individuals in black suits, both wearing shades, indoors, with white ear-buds protruding quite obviously from their ears.

"Excuse me, but would you four come with us, please?"

It only took Art a moment to gather his wits about him to respond, "And who exactly are you two?"

The man on the left simply smirked at him, his eyes hidden behind the shades, "We aren't important; it's our boss who wants to talk to you all."

* * *

><p>As Nick and Liara stepped inside, both of them gaped at the various banners and display booths, run by various vendors and fans alike, as well as the myriad of fans dressed in their own homemade costumes, many with makeup, the most obvious ones being the "Asari" mock-ups. In the face of so many strange people, Liara instinctively moved closer to Nick, he being the only truly familiar thing to her at this point.<p>

Nick stood there for a few moments, looking around, and realized he had made a rather serious error. Turning to Liara, he spoke, "You know, I think I screwed up." At her questioning gaze, he supplied, "I never told them what I looked like, and I never found out what they looked like." Liara's face fell, the disappointment clear in her body language. Nick was quick to reassure her, "Hey, don't worry. There can't be too many places that they could be. After all, I can always contact them over the phone, and then meet up with them." Nick was relieved when he saw the smile return to Liara's face, grateful to have cheered her up.

As Nick turned away from her to start walking, he almost immediately ran into someone, having not turned before walking. Stumbling back, Nick began to stammer an apology when the man in front of him spoke up, "Nicholas Perry?" Nick nodded, looking closer at the man and realizing that he was wearing a suit with shades hiding his eyes. "Would you and your... friend... come with me, please? There is someone who would like to meet you both."

Nick looked the man up and down, trying to discern who he was, but couldn't figure it out. Glancing behind him, Nick mentally grimaced, seeing two more of the suited men standing behind him. With a shrug and a sigh, Nick gestured to the man, "Alright; lead the way."

* * *

><p>Casey Hudson stood in his hotel room, when a knock came from the door. He turned just as the door opened, letting in one of the many Bioware 'employees.' "Sir, we've picked up everyone involved. They are being led into the conference room as we speak."<p>

Hudson nodded, "Thank you, James; I'll be there momentarily."

* * *

><p>Director Watkins' head shot up as one of his lieutenants spoke up, "Sir, the assets have eyes on the targets."<p>

He walked up to the screen, "Show me." A moment later, the screen along the wall flickered, before coming to life, showing a camera angle of one of the assets, and centered in the middle was the target civilian, Nicholas Perry, standing next to a woman who looked like she was dressed like many of the other aliens at the convention. "Where is the alien? Who is the woman in the costume with him? Where is the target?"

There was a few moments of silence, no one entirely sure what to say, until one of the other workers in the room spoke up, "Sir, there's more to see."

Before Samuel could say anything else, the image shifted into infrared, and all the people in the area suddenly lit up in colors of bright orange and red. As Samuel looked closer, however, he noticed that with the people in costumes, there was a definite cold spot on the backs of their heads where their fake head-tentacles were. Looking at the woman next to the civilian, Nicholas, Samuel's jaw dropped, seeing the same tentacles on her head glowing as brightly as the rest of her body. Looking closer revealed to him that her body temperature was lower than usual.

"Signal the assets, tell them to move in discreetly and pick them up-"

"Sir, we have movement." The image returned to normal vision, and Samuel watched as three men in black suits moved to the targets, and escorted them through a set of closed doors, away from the public. Samuel felt his blood pressure spike, watching them move away.

"New directive; tell the assets to follow the targets, see who it is who just took them, and find out what's going on. As of this moment, we are in recon, I say again; we are in recon."

* * *

><p>Nick couldn't help but feel nervous as he and Liara were escorted through a myriad of hallways, each one looking almost identical to the ones before. After walking through what felt like the umpteenth door, they made it to a set of elevator doors. Not really having any other choice, Nick stepped in, followed immediately by Liara. As soon as the doors closed, Nick watched one of the men step up to the controls, and he furrowed his brow as the man began punching all of the buttons in a strange order; after pressing the last of the twenty four buttons, the elevator jolted slightly, before going <em>down.<em>

Nick shared a glance with Liara, before the elevator stopped, the doors opening to a long, narrow hallway. Nick nearly passed out as he saw one of the suits raise his arm, and an omni-tool appeared over it, and he input some kind of code. As the omni-tool shut down, a series of electronic whines could be heard, and as Nick looked out, he saw a number of automated turrets deactivate, as well as what could have likely been floor mines. Nick wasn't entirely sure, nor did he really want to know.

The walk through the defense hallway was relatively short, all things considered, and after walking through another pair of doors, the man in front of them stopped, turned, and gestured for the two of them to enter the room. Nick wasn't entirely sure about it, but deciding he didn't really have any choice, did as he was told, and opened the door, stepping into the room, its lighting slightly lower than the hallway.

"So, you must be Bale." Nick nearly jumped at the sound of the voice, and his head immediately spun around, and he found himself face to face with a group of four people, all around his age in appearance, of one girl and three boys. The guy in the front spoke again, and Nick recognized his voice as the one who had spoken just a moment previous. "At least, that's what I'm assuming. Do you have a real name? Or do we just call you Bale?"

Nick cleared his throat, before responding, "I'm Nick. You are?"

The man just smirked, "The name's Art. This here is Brendan," the guy on his left waved, smiling, "This is Ian," the other guy just nodded, a half-grin plastered on his face, "And this is Jocelyn." The girl also nodded, but without any sign of amusement or friendliness. "And I take it that... Jesus Christ on a pikestaff... you weren't kidding..."

Nick turned around to see where Art was looking, and smiled as he saw Liara standing there, looking rather timid at the stares of everyone in the room. Nick held out his hand towards her, "Hey, you're ok, Liara. You can trust these guys. Sure, the guys may be kind of weird..."

"Hey!"

"...but they won't hurt you." Nick finished with a smile. Tentatively, Liara took Nick's hand, and the two of them walked over to the rest of the group, sitting down at the conference table in the middle of the room.

Before anyone could say anything else, another door opened on the far side of the room, and a slightly older looking man walked in, with short, black hair and a slightly tanned face, and a tuft of hair just beneath his lower lip. "Greetings, everyone; my name is Casey Hudson, and I believe that I can help you all." His gaze turned towards the Asari, "And I believe that I can help you the most, young woman."

* * *

><p>AN: So now our intrepid heroes have all met, and are under the scrutiny of the overlord of Bioware! What will happen next?


	3. Chapter 3 And The Horse You Rode In On

A/N: to answer the question on everyone's mind, yes, I did get the other authors' permission to use them in my story. Actually, three of the four seem to be thoroughly enjoying what I'm doing with their characters, and I go to them when I need to know things about their characters. So that makes this story a collaboration, insofar as the characters are concerned; however, the story is my work of art. Heh, no pun intended.

Beware, action ahead.

*note: there will be one or two places to look up songs that will add to the effect of the following scenes. Prep them in your browser under separate tabs. Go to Youtube, and search these songs:

Derezzed – Cassettes Won't Listen Remix  
>Derezzed – NTEIBINT Remix<p>

And I'll say this right now: I am a wicked driver. A professional... not exactly; but I have a lot of skill driving. I know this by the number of accidents I've managed to avoid. *cough* *cough* shut up *cough* SO, while I'm obviously hamming up my own driving skills for the sake of the story, it's not that farfetched. Other than the doing it while being shot at. A lot.

archerstar: yeah, you could say that. I couldn't stop laughing as I pictured the awkwardness of Nick being stuck in the honeymoon suite room of the hotel with Liara, of all people.

iNf3ctioNZ: yeah... sorry about calling you a girl. I fixed it, but I swear, I honestly didn't even catch that...

Bloodwolf432: That is very true; however, Mass Effect isn't going to be the only stint this story takes place in. With regards to stops from the first version of ITF, only Brendan knows anything about Halo, and I'm pretty sure none of them knows anything about Stargate. And Joc (RoyalFanatic) doesn't actually know anything about the ME universe, so it's only four people who know, which translates into four times the risk of people finding out things they shouldn't in the ME universe. And it's only Gary Stu-ish if they all become badass and never get hurt or anything... and I never said that was going to be the case...

Nogoodnms: heh, you thought the _last_ chapter had you sitting on the edge of your seat...

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 3

Nick couldn't help but gawk at the man, calling himself Hudson. "Casey Hudson? As in, the man behind the existence of Mass Effect?"

Hudson smiled, a twinkle in his eye, "The very one in the same. I must say, Nicholas, that I was quite surprised when you contacted us about finding Liara out there. We knew she had crash-landed somewhere in Ohio, but so did the government, unfortunately. By the time anyone got near the crash site, however, you were already on the run with her. We've been keeping track of you since you left, and we knew when you got here." Hudson chuckled a little, before continuing, "In case you hadn't already figured it out, we were the ones who took your car. It's being upgraded as we speak."

Nick's brow furrowed, "Upgraded?"

Hudson shrugged, "Yes, upgraded. Nothing serious, just a power cell to get it to our base in Canada, as well as a kinetic barrier and some armor plating. Oh, and replacement tires made from a titanium alloy that doesn't technically exist yet. You see, we know that the US government has secret agencies, ones that don't even have names; and that one of those secret organizations has been following you. Their agents are here in the building with us, looking for you two, Nick."

A collective gasp sounded through the room, everyone's eyes wide. Casey continued, "We're preparing the vehicles for your imminent departure. Needless to say, you'll need all the help you can get. We have some surprises for anyone tailing you once you're on the road, which you'll see once you're on your way. Nick, you and Liara will take your car within the hour, once the mods are finished, and will lead the way. The others will follow in secondary vehicles, where they will be of more use. The ship we have for you to leave in is a simple kowloon class freighter, much like the one Liara crash-landed here on Earth. Oh, and I think you'll like your escort into space."

Hudson turned, and stepped away from the door, allowing a second figure to enter, sporting dark grey armor, his hair shaved down to stubble, with a hint of a five o'clock shadow visible; a scar was noticeable along his left eyebrow, and his eyes a deep brown. The N7 emblem shone on his chest, and every single person in the room was absolutely speechless.

While everyone was staring at Commander Shepard, Hudson spoke again, "Also, let me introduce you to your driving co-pilot."

All attention shifted from the N7 operative to the center of the conference table, where a blue spherical hologram appeared, and spoke, "Greetings."

After what felt like eons of silence, Nick finally managed to regain control of his voice, "Y-you're kidding, right? This has to be a sick, twisted joke... you're telling me that you guys made the game Mass Effect because you had commander _freaking _Shepard here to tell it to you?"

Hudson looked up at the ceiling, in mock thought, before nodding, a half-smirk on his face, "Yeah, you could say that."

Nick turned towards the commander, "Wait, why are you here? How did you get here?"

The commander turned to face Nick, his face set into a pained expression. "In short, because we lost." No one said a word, or even dared to breathe. "We were so close to winning, but we still fell short. It was such a narrow margin that not even the Reapers knew for sure they would win. But it took one battle; one single battle where they collapsed a star on our main fleet. After that, it was a brutal massacre, the remaining Reapers swarming our last bastions. We fought against them, but something happened, that we still can't fully explain."

At this point, Nick spoke up, "You hit a spatial anomaly, didn't you? Like the one Liara hit." The commander just nodded. "And now, we have to try to get Liara back before it closes."

At this, Hudson took a step forward, "Exactly. Which is why you need to get moving, now."

Before anyone else could say anything, a slight rumble shook the building. Everyone looked around, before EDI spoke, "This building is under attack by unknown forces. I recommend immediate evacuation of all essential personnel."

Hudson opened a third door as EDI's hologram disappeared, and he waved, "Everyone, this way!" Not needing to be told twice, Nick began running, and dragged Liara with him, having still been holding her hand. They ran, moving through the various hallways, and Nick could hear Hudson yelling into his active omni-tool. "Prep the car! I don't care if the weapons systems aren't installed, we need to move _now!_"

After what felt like an eternity of running, with the rumbling sounds getting louder and more frequent, they finally managed to make it into what seemed to be a large garage, likely a block or two from the convention center. Nick gaped openly at what appeared to be rows and rows of weapons lockers, suits of Mass Effect based armors, and his car, sitting in the middle of an elevated pad, surrounded by machinery, with the old engine lying off to the side, as well as other parts. The car looked intact, unlike the old parts from under the hood. As he looked, he realized that a thin, silver stripe had been painted along the upper lip of the side, giving it a sleeker look.

Hudson's voice drew him out of his trance, "Everyone, get over here and grab some armor! It'll form fit to your body automatically, so don't worry if it looks a tad bit too big!" Nick, along with the others, quickly ran over to the armor racks, and Nick pulled off a suit that looked like it should fit him, the suit a dull grey, default-like color. The torso piece came first, sliding over his head, and thrusting his arms through the holes.

As he continued to slide pieces on, helped by Hudson and a technician, Nick asked, "Hudson, where the fuck did you get this shit?" The man smiled before responding.

"Simple; these suits are the first working prototypes we were able to construct with EDI's assistance. We had them shipped here overnight once you told us you were bringing Liara to us."

Nick gaped for a moment, before sliding his foot into one of the boots. "And this whole bunker? The hell is this from?"

Hudson laughed, "Oh, this? It was built back when President Clinton came to this building for some set of speeches or whatever. It was an alternate escape route in case shit hit the fan. Fortunately for us, no one was using it at the time. So we borrowed the space!"

Slipping the last gauntlet on his left hand, Nick ran over to the weapon lockers. Without thinking, he grabbed an assault rifle, pistol, and sniper rifle, opting to leave the shotgun. As he holstered the guns, he noticed the symbol on the side; a single circle, with two dots in the middle, one directly over the other, the entire thing a light blue color. Shrugging, Nick slid the weapons onto his back, and ran over to his car.

While Nick was running, the others stood in front of the weapons lockers, standing there in awe. Ian glanced around, before deciding on grabbing the sniper rifle and a pistol. Art, on the other hand, simply took a pistol and an assault rifle. Brendan, with a wide smile on his face, grabbed one of everything, even going so far as to take a few grenades. Joc simply took a pistol, attaching it to her thigh.

As Nick looked into the car, his jaw dropped, and he momentarily forgot about everything around him; inside the car, the back seat had been completely gutted, and the front seat was much wider, with seats designed to support his armor. Where the steering wheel had been, there was now a pair of joysticks, both horizontal, like an inverted motorcycle stick, cut in the middle and attached to either side of the driver's seat. Hanging in front of the driver's seat, however, was some kind of visor Nick had never seen before.

"Hudson, what the hell is the visor there for?"

Casey ran up next to him, glanced in, and turned towards Nick, "That's a modified Sentry Interface; basically, it links to your car's internal systems, such as the kinetic barrier, radar, targeting systems, anything. I designed it myself."

From across the room, Ian called out, "Yeah, and BioWare are famed for their quality vehicle controls. Just look at the Mako." Casey glared at him, while everyone else just laughed.

Nick proceeded to get in, waving to Liara, now decked out in her own armor, white instead of grey, who ran over to the passenger side, and quickly climbed in. As Nick pressed his finger onto a button with the usual Earth-borne power symbol on it, the vehicle hummed to life, even quieter than it had before. He slipped the Sentry Interface over his head, and it immediately flared to life, a shield-bar in his lower vision, a radar IFF identifier to his left, a targeting reticule in the center of his vision, with a waypoint marker and a line showing where to drive. He adjusted the thin mic slightly, before speaking into it, "Check, testing; this thing work? Whatever. Hudson, are the others ready?"

Casey's voice crackled in Nick's ear-piece, "They're good to go, Nick! Good luck, and god-speed!"

Nick nodded to himself, and as he glanced at the controls, a small tutorial appeared in his visor, showing him how to put the vehicle into gear, and how to control the sticks. Before he engaged the throttle, however, he glanced at the stereo, and seeing that it was still there, quickly plugged his Ipod in. As the speakers began blaring what sounded like thunder, followed by a bass beat, he smiled at the title: Derezzed – NTEIBINT Remix.

Without any warning, Nick engaged the throttle, pushing his right foot down on the gas, keeping a steady hand on the joysticks. As he drove, the line directing him veered sharply to the left, and acting on pure instinct, he twisted the left stick upwards, while throwing the right stick down, gyrating the left stick in a forward motion and the right stick back. Outside the vehicle, one would notice the left side wheels spinning forward, while the rear wheels began spinning backwards, turning the vehicle at an insanely sharp angle.

* * *

><p>Watching the red Focus shoot out the tunnel, Casey heard Shepard's voice from behind him, "Why did you tell him that was his car? Even he'll be able to figure out we couldn't have done all those things to his car in under an hour."<p>

Hudson just smiled, not even turning around, "This is true. But by the time he figures it out, he'll already be too far gone, and his car will just be another of the decoys. At the very least, he should be grateful that we took his stuff out of his old car and put it into that one."

* * *

><p>As Nick became more focused, his eyes seemed to glaze over, and his conscious mind seemed to almost stop working, his focus purely on the road, the imaginary white line showing him where to go, and the feel of the vehicle around him. As he drove up the long ramp leading to ground level, Nick spared a glance at Liara, and smiled as he saw her blue skin tinted quite pale, her eyes wide, gripping some conveniently placed handle-bars with a death grip.<p>

Without warning, the door in front of them shot open, nearly blinding both of them, before Nick's visor dimmed automatically, allowing him to focus his eyes much faster. This turned out to be a very good thing, for as soon as the car left the underground hidden garage, Nick found himself narrowly avoiding a semi, swerving towards the left onto a larger, four lane road. The Sentry Interface, thankfully, highlighted the moving cars, as well as other obstacles, coloring them into different groups, depending on whether they were stationary or mobile. The guiding AI-controlled line would shift and change, depending on how things moved around him. Nick veered the car left and right, nimbly dodging the moving New York midday traffic.

Before long, however, a red blip appeared in his vision. With a glance in the rear view mirror, Nick grimaced at the sight of a police cruiser, quickly joined by a second. Without hesitation, Nick immediately launched the car towards the right, into a one way street... the opposite direction. Liara's screams barely registered in Nick's mind as he dodged cars coming from the other direction, missing a few by only centimeters. Nick smirked to himself as his radar showed the two red blips suddenly drop off the pursuit. Nick quickly pulled off the two lane road, and followed the line, out and away from the skyscrapers of downtown Manhattan island.

As he slowed down slightly, he glanced over at Liara, and holding the car steady with one hand, patted her arm with his right hand, noticing her breathing rapidly, near hyperventilating. "Liara, relax. Everything's going to be fine. I'm sure we won't run into anything serious-"

A squealing noise caught Nick's attention, and as soon as he looked into the rear view mirror, he wished that he hadn't; an Apache helicopter was moving into position behind him, its weapons systems locked onto the car.

* * *

><p>Art, Brendan, Ian and Jocelyn all watched as Nick went speeding out through the tunnel in his car, sporting the new toys that had been packed under its hood. Brendan let out a sigh, "Damn. I wish I could've driven that thing; it looked like a beauty."<p>

Art turned to him, and responded, "The hell you talking about? He's going to be the one getting shot at! Granted, I'd love to test out these guns and tech, but I'd like to get _trained_ first!"

Ian nodded, "He's got a point. Fancy tech aside, what the hell are we really doing here?"

Hudson stepped up behind the group, and spoke to them all, "You're here to help make sure Liara returns home where she belongs. And for right now, you four are going to give them some backup. Follow me."

Hudson led the group around a corner, show-casing their new rides, and they all stopped in place, their jaws on the floor at the sight in front of them. Brendan was the first to speak his mind. "Ok, on second thought, screw the car. I'd rather be flying one of those."

Hudson continued, "Don't worry about not knowing how to operate them; these models have a simple tutorial and control scheme. Trust me, I personally designed the interface myself. If you can play an xbox, you can fly those things."

Ian immediately raised his hand, "I call dibs on driving!" Before anyone could argue with him, Ian took off running, making a beeline for the closest of the two vehicles. Brendan took off behind him.

Art turned to Jocelyn, "So, do you want to fly? Or should I take it?"

Joc shuddered, and just waved her hand, "You go ahead. I'd rather stay here and keep my feet on the ground, personally."

Hudson smiled, "Then I think we have just the thing for you."

A few minutes later, three vehicles roared to life, the sound of their engines reverberating off of the walls, an almost deafening sound in its own right. In a matter of seconds, the four of them shot forward in the three vehicles, out into the daylight.

* * *

><p>Nick grimaced as he swerved the car to the right, neatly avoiding a smattering of machine gun fire, the rounds impacting into the soft asphalt road where they had just been. He rounded a corner, fish-tailing the back end of the car around, but regained control quickly, flooring the gas pedal. The Apache followed suite, rotating and tilting to follow them. Nick silently cursed the lack of tall buildings or available cover, and again swerved from left to right, maneuvering around a semi, as the gunship launched another volley of high caliber rounds at them, perforating the semi trailer with large round holes.<p>

As the nimble car zipped around the now damaged semi, the driver began to lose control, and instead of hitting the brakes as he intended, ended up throttling the gas. Nick watched in his rear view mirror as the semi began barreling towards them, and he pushed on the gas as much as he could, trying to out-run the rampaging semi.

Finally, the semi swerved, then jackknifed, and to Nick's amazement, the cab then tilted, snapping the rear wheel segment clean off, leaving the trailer to go on its own path, while the semi cab continued to roll, spinning and smashing through various other vehicles, before slamming directly into a gas station. The very same gas station that Nick was directly next to.

Before Nick could react, the entire gas station erupted in a massive fireball, the flames easily stretching a hundred feet into the air... as well as outward. Nick flinched at first, but his eyes grew wide as the flames passed harmlessly over the kinetic barrier, the heat dissipating and diffusing before it could cause any severe damage. As the flames cleared, and Nick saw the way in front of them clear, he began to laugh, clearly amused. As he drove, he heard Liara yell out, "You're insane! How could you find this amusing?" Nick just laughed harder, swerving down a road to the left, avoiding another blast of machine gun fire.

Finally, Nick found himself reaching one of the bridges to get off the island, and immediately turned towards it, the Apache still in tow. Another shrill tone was heard in the car, and Nick's heart rate spiked when he saw what was causing it; a sidewinder missile, zeroed in on the car. Nick looked at the dash, and spotting a button with what looked like a flame pointing downward, depressed the bottom, just as the missile came near the back of the car, almost parallel to the car. A moment later, thrusters on the underside of the car engaged, launching the car between ten and fifteen feet into the air; just enough that the missile passed directly underneath the car, its targeting systems confused at the sudden disappearance of the designated target.

The missile continued on course for a few more seconds, putting it nearly a hundred feet in front of the car, before exploding, damaging the road and bridge in front of them. Grimacing, Nick veered to the right, opting to look for yet another bridge.

* * *

><p>Samuel Watkins was nearly screaming, "Who told that helicopter to use missiles? We want them <em>alive!<em> Disable their car and bring them in alive!"

No one in the command center said a word, each one knowing full well that the pilot of the Apache could expect a firing squad when he returned home if he disobeyed orders again.

* * *

><p>Liara was afraid; no, that wasn't a strong enough word. She was <em>terrified<em>. She had seen a number of things in her life of one hundred and five years, many of them quite disturbing. But even the worst of piracy and villains that she had seen in her own universe, paled to the fear of death she felt riding in the passenger seat with Nick's driving.

She couldn't even feel her fingers any more, they were gripping the handle bars so tightly, out of fear. She could feel her blood pounding in her ears, as much as she could feel it in her head, the veins throbbing in agony at the speed at which it was flowing through her body. Liara screamed again as she saw another vehicle by theirs get hit with a burst of gunfire from the gunship behind them.

She heard Nick swear slightly under his breath, but before Liara could ask what it was, she gasped, seeing a streaking white shape shoot over their car, a white contrail of smoke behind it, before the shape impacted another of the large truck-like vehicles, causing it to veer wildly, its trailer swerving from side to side. Liara couldn't help but speak aloud, "Truck!"

Nick simply nodded, "I see it."

The truck continued to get closer, the trailer cab separating from the vehicle itself, the trailer immediately spinning onto its side, and starting to flip. "_Truck!_"

Nick responded again, sounding slightly annoyed, "I see it!"

The trailer continued to roll, and just when Liara thought it would flatten their car, Nick pressed a button on the joysticks he was using to drive the car, and a pair of tiny streaks shot out from beneath the hood somewhere, impacting on the trailer, and exploding on contact. Liara, thinking she was about to die, closed her eyes tightly, praying to the goddess to make her death quick and painless. After a few moments, Liara heard Nick whooping and hollering, causing her to reflexively open her eyes in confusion. As soon as she did so, her jaw dropped in surprise; there was still a road in front of them, and they weren't dead.

Liara spun around, looking out the back window, only to see the trailer they had nearly been flattened by with a large hole in the middle, just big enough for the car to fit through it. She turned to look at Nick, a glare evident on her face. "If we live through this, by the goddess, I am going to hurt you, Nick!"

Nick just smirked at her, not even turning to look away from the road in front of him.

* * *

><p>Finally finding a bridge to cross, Nick gunned the engine, and the car shot forward, out onto the bridge, with Nick swerving around any driver unfortunate enough to be in his way. A glance out his side window showed him the Apache keeping pace with them, waiting for them to clear the bridge to again open fire. Glancing down at his stereo, Nick saw the title Derezzed – Cassettes Won't Listen Remix flash across the screen.<p>

As Nick reached the halfway point on the bridge, two new contacts appeared on his HUD, but these ones were colored yellow instead of red, causing Nick's brow to furrow in confusion. Glancing out at the Apache again, Nick's jaw dropped, seeing a missile streaking towards the Earth-based gunship, causing it to veer away to avoid the impact of the explosive. Nick watched his driving, swerving around another trio of cars, before looking out again, and laughing at the sight of two Mantis gunships engaging the Apache helicopter.

* * *

><p>Brendan laughed as he pushed down on the button firing the Mantis's machine guns, sending a wave of hot metal towards the Apache helicopter, which barely managed to avoid the flying ammunition. "Hey, Ian, make sure you don't let him get any shots off at us!"<p>

Ian just called back to him from the pilot's seat, "What the bloody hell do you think I'm doing? It's not like I've got a large bulls-eye painted on the side of this tin can."

Brendan just laughed, before keying the gunship's mic, "Hey Art, you doing alright over there?"

The mic crackled slightly, before Art's voice rang out, "I'm doing just fine, Brendan! You just make sure you two don't get yourselves shot down!"

Before Brendan could reply, the mic crackled again, and Jocelyn's voice could be heard, loudly, "Woohoo! I love this thing!" After pulling the ear bud out to rub his ear, Brendan checked the radar, and smiled when he saw the silhouette of the Hammerhead tank coming closer, the vehicle hovering over the surface of the water, firing its own missiles at the Apache helicopter. The pilot to the helicopter, realizing the rather stacked odds, launched flares to distract the missiles, and pulled away, retreating to a safe distance.

* * *

><p>No one dared to utter a single sound, let alone a word, as everyone in the room could feel the director's anger, and no one wanted to incur Samuel's wrath. He was quiet, almost as quiet as the grave, for a short time. When he did speak, it was in a soft tone, almost a whisper.<p>

"Would someone like to explain to me how the hell we missed this? A pair of gunships and a tank, all using technology, decades beyond our own? Anyone?" There was only silence. Samuel moved to pick up a phone on the back wall, and after a few moments, he spoke into it, "Yes, patch me through to the Secretary of Defense."

* * *

><p>As Nick reached the highway, he couldn't help but smile, hearing the whoops and yells over his mic headset, the cheer quite evident from the small victory. He keyed his own mic, and spoke, "Nice job guys, hopefully we'll have smooth sailing from here on out."<p>

As Nick pulled his hand away from the headset built into the Sentry Interface, he looked over at Liara, smiling, but his smile faltered a bit at the glare she shot his way. 'If looks could kill...' He thought to himself. He gave a tentative smile, "Heh, hey, there, um, Liara. How are you?"

As Liara began to speak, she started to shake slightly, "H-how am I? I thought I was going to die more times than I care to count, and you're asking how I am?"

Nick nodded, bowing his head slightly, "I'm sorry. I know that I probably enjoyed that a bit more than I should. But I wasn't just going to let them kill us off."

Liara nodded, and breathed out a heavy sigh, "I... I understand. Just... please promise me we won't do that again?"

Nick turned to look at her, "Liara, if I could promise that, we'd already be at the ship, flying into that portal. There's still at least another fifty mile stretch of road to cross before we're safe across the Canadian border, and after that, we have to reach the ship."

Nick was only barely able to hide his smirk when he heard Liara mutter under her breath, "By the goddess..."

* * *

><p>For close to a half hour, the journey through the outskirts of the city and the neighboring countryside passed rather uneventfully, and quietly. Nick worried. With a situation as volatile as this, nothing should be this quiet. He turned off his stereo, and keyed his mic, "Hey guys, are your sensors picking up anything? We should have at least <em>someone<em> chasing us right now, and I'm worried about us having not seen anything yet."

There was no response at first, before Brendan's voice rang out, "Well, I don't see anything on the sensors... hold up, I'm seeing three contacts, coming in hot!"

Nick looked up into the sky, and he paled as he recognized the silhouettes of the jets passing by overhead, the planes flying past to get a good look at the small convoy. "Guys... we've got F-22 raptors up there!"

* * *

><p>Ian paled when he heard Nick's comment about the jet fighters, being able to figure out the odds of survival in his gunship when compared against the much faster and more nimble jets. Ian glanced at his radar, and grimaced as he saw the three contacts break off from each other, moving into different attack vectors and varying speeds. He keyed his mic, "Art, move closer to the ground, close to Nick; that should keep them from shooting you down!"<p>

Art responded almost immediately, "That's all well and good, but what about you two?"

Ian swore under his breath when he looked at the radar again, seeing one of the raptors moving directly towards him, his console sounding a shrill alert of the enemy targeting systems being positioned on his Mantis. "We're already being targeted, Art. Just do it." He cut the comm. line, and focused on his flying.

As the Raptor launched a Sidewinder, Ian swore again, before yelling, "Brendan, launch flares, now!"

As the missile streaked forward, aiming straight and true for the gunship, it became distracted by the sudden launch of the flares, but its speed and payload made the divergence of its flight path almost negligible in its effect on the gunship. As the missile exploded, the gunship began bucking beneath Ian, and he screamed as the console in front of him exploded in a shower of sparks, a warning klaxon blared in his ears. He glanced out the window of the cockpit, only to pale at the sight of the ground rushing up to meet him. A moment later, the world exploded around him, and his mind disappeared into a void of darkness.

* * *

><p>AN: oh, I'm sorry, were you looking to see what happened next? I guess you'll just have to wait for the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4 Fading Into The Sunset

A/N: Well, here we go. A word of caution, there will be some serious sadness in this chapter. Oh ye of faint heart, be ye warned.

Hawk531: hmm... spontaneous universal combustion would generally be a bad thing...

Archerstar: I loved your review. "I have a shotgun." Epic.

FuckingTypo: just wait until I actually get the group into the ME universe. Then the kick-assery will really jump into overdrive. And for right now, this story is completely dominating my mind, as my girlfriend can attest to; needless to say, she isn't exactly happy with me. Also, thanks for covering that point with the whole missile thing in your review.

daedalusN7: just one thing about that, my friend; I don't think Ian or Brendan would appreciate getting vaporized from five miles off in only the third chapter. Sometimes the plot bunnies make things seem slightly off. Besides, with the high priority target, (IE Liara) it wouldn't do anyone any good to have the more powerful missile get launched, accidentally miss, and coincidentally vaporize the target in question, now would it? And that aside, a helicopter-like gunship isn't going to do much against a jet like the F-22.

Dreaded-DeathX: first, what can I say? When I first started writing this stuff, I didn't know what I was doing. And now, I'm getting help from some other good authors. Second, I try to come up with as many original ideas as possible; if nothing else, my first version of Into the Fire, however Noob-ish, was a great sounding-board for some of my ideas. Third, I keep bouncing ideas off the other FF authors, and get their input to keep things interesting. Forth, I haven't entirely decided what to do on the Shepard front... yet. Fifth, that's assuming that the Shepard there and Liara are from the same reality; keep in mind the theory of infinite realities, where there are an infinite number of realities for an infinite number of variables. And the anomaly is in orbit, so at most, it would likely just be some space junk passing through it. The rest, you'll just have to see.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 4

Nick couldn't help but gasp as he saw the missile explode, the forces blooming outward against the kinetic barrier of Ian's Mantis gunship. His heart nearly stopped as he saw the vehicle quite literally fall out of the sky, smoking and charred, one of the stabilizing thrusters having been shorn off. Nick slammed on the brakes, and immediately turned the car around towards the wreck, speaking into his Sentry Interface's mic. "We're going back for them; I am _not _going to leave them here!" As he throttled the gas towards the wreckage, Nick called out into his mic, "Ian, Brendan, are you guys alright?"

There was no response at first, making Nick begin to seriously worry. After a few moments, however, much to his relief, coughing began to sound from over the headset, and Brendan's voice could be heard, "Y-yeah, Nick. I'm here."

"Brendan, are you hurt?" There was a slight pause before he responded.

"No, I'm alright, just a bit bruised up. I'm moving up to the cockpit to check on Ian." Nick listened to his headset, hearing Brendan move through the interior of the Mantis' wreckage, pulling pieces of metal out of his way. Finally, his voice sounded out again, "Nick, Ian's still alive. He's hurt, and unconscious, but he's alive."

Nick smiled, breathing a sigh of relief, as Art could be heard over the mic breathing his own heavy sigh of relief, as his Mantis hovered mere meters above Nick's car, with the Hammerhead a few feet behind them. The downed Mantis was, thankfully, within a hundred feet of where they had been, so it only took them a few seconds to reach the wreckage, and as soon as Nick put the car into park, he immediately jumped out of the vehicle, running to the wreckage.

Nick grabbed the emergency hatch on the side of the gunship, thankfully still intact, and gave it a good hard yank. At first, it didn't want to give, but after a few more tugs, the panel finally released, almost knocking Nick back onto the ground. Dropping the hatch, Nick stuck his head in, and called out, "Brendan? You in here?"

A few moments later, Brendan's head popped out from the cockpit of the Mantis. "I need help in here, Nick! Ian's stuck, and he's more dead-weight than I can haul out of here by myself."

Ignoring the occasional spark, and the smoke that was slowly but steadily filling the inside of the dropship, Nick crawled inside, and grabbed ahold of Ian with Brendan, pulling him out by his shoulders. Reaching the hatch to the outside, Nick and Brendan pushed Ian out first, Nick grimacing at the sight of a large gash running down Ian's arm through the armor, as well as the slightly cracked visor on his helmet.

Finally, Nick and Brendan managed to get Ian away from the Mantis, and half carried, half dragged his limp form towards the back of the Hammerhead, its rear hatch already lowered for them. Curious, Nick glanced up into the sky, and scowled, seeing the three Raptors still circling overhead, watching them all. As they carried Ian into the Hammerhead, Nick turned to Brendan, "I need you to stay in here with Ian and Joc, alright? I don't want Art landing right now, because it would leave us all vulnerable."

Brendan nodded, his face void of the humor and smile it had carried such a short while ago. Nick then turned and left the Hammerhead, jogging to his car. As he made it to the car, he noticed a flashing warning in his visor that he hadn't paid any attention to before while rescuing Ian. It read: **warning: element zero detected. Threat level two.** Nick's eyes widened, and his head spun back towards the crashed gunship, only for a pit to form in his gut and his shoulders to slump at the sight of the blue mist mingling with the smoke, now pouring from the Mantis.

Quickly getting into the car, Nick gunned the throttle, glaring straight forward, with the Hammerhead directly behind him, as well as the Mantis directly above him. Before Nick could even say anything, Liara spoke up from next to him, the worry evident in her voice, "Nick, are you feeling all right? You're bleeding from your nose."

Nick's hand flew up to his nose, and as he pulled his hand back, his heart sank, seeing the tip of his finger coated in the crimson liquid. Reaching down and pulling a tissue out of the center console, Nick just shrugged, "I'm fine, Liara. Don't worry about it."

Liara, however, spoke, ignoring his statement, "Nick, there wasn't more element zero leaking from that wreckage, was there?" Nick glanced over, seeing her stare at him. At the silence, Liara gleaned the answer, and began rubbing her eyes with her hands, "By the goddess... Nick, if you keep this up, you may well kill yourself!"

Nick just grimaced, watching the road in front of him, "Yes, Liara, I know! That doesn't mean I should've just left them there! Risk or no risk, they're here because of me! If they die, it's because of _me!_ This didn't just _happen_ to them like it did me; they're here because I asked them to be here!" Nick paused, and took a deep breath before continuing, "Liara... what kind of man would I be if I had left them there to die? If I wasn't willing to risk my life, just to make sure they were safe? Whether I like it or not, I'm the reason any of them are involved in this, and I'll be damned before I let one of them get hurt or killed because of me, without fighting to keep them all safe!"

Nick stopped, not wanting to say anything more, when he felt pressure on his arm. He looked down, only to see Liara's armored hand resting on top of his right gauntlet. His eyes rose and met hers, hazel eyes to her bright blue eyes. "You won't be doing them any favors by getting yourself killed, either. You've already proven to be a better person than most, just by helping me get this far. Do not continue to berate yourself like this." After a few moments, Liara seemed to realize what she was doing, and instantly pulled her hand away, turning forward and looking out the front window, her face turning a deep shade of blue.

Nick couldn't help but smile at her reaction, especially seeing the dark shade of blue on her cheeks. 'She looks kind of cute when she blushes like that... hold up, Nick; she's an _Asari._ Get your mind out of the gutter.'

* * *

><p>Samuel Watkins was excessively upset. Anyone in the room could see why, watching the small convoy, now one gunship less, pass across the Canadian border, outside of the official jurisdiction of the US forces. Quite unnecessarily, one of the aides in the room spoke, "The target has now crossed the border."<p>

Samuel didn't even move, he just continued to watch the screen, his glare evident. After a few moments, however, the director suddenly stood up, and turned as though he would walk out the door. He stopped just short of the door, and turned his head back partway. "Send out the message; we send Special Forces into Canada in three hours. We're pulling out all the stops on this one. I want that alien, dead or alive!"

* * *

><p>An hour later, the tired and battered group finally made it to the coordinates provided by EDI. Nick, now extremely tired, pulled the car into the highlighted driveway, only for his eyes to shoot wide open as the section of driveway in front of him spontaneously began to rise, showing a hidden ramp into an underground passageway. Too tired to even care at this point, Nick simply drove the car down into the hole, followed by Joc, Ian and Brendan in the Hammerhead. Art had to take the Mantis to another location, though presumably nearby, as when Nick looked up with the visor, he could still see Art's locator beacon nearby, also lowering beneath the ground level.<p>

The tunnel wound down at least what would be considered four stories below the ground, before finally leveling out, and opening up into a much wider garage. Nick, not really feeling too cooperative, simply parked the car in the middle of the garage. After turning the vehicle off, he and Liara both stepped out of the car. Glancing around, Nick saw the others getting out of the Hammerhead, and Nick smiled slightly, seeing Ian up on his own, if limping a little, holding his wounded arm close to his chest. Nick jogged over to him, his smile growing wider as he got closer.

"Ian! I'm glad to see you're ok." Ian frowned, trying to hide a wince back.

"I wouldn't exactly call getting shot down by a fucking anti-air missile 'ok,' just so you know." Nick nodded, and after a few moments of thought, responded.

"Well, look at it this way; at least you've got a wicked scar, and a hell of a story to pick up chicks; after all, not many guys can say they got shot in the face with a missile and walked away to talk about it."

Ian's brow furrowed, "But I didn't get hit in the face with a missile."

Nick smirked at that, "True; but the ladies won't know that."

Letting Ian take that thought in, Nick then turned to Brendan, "Are you alright? I know we didn't exactly have a lot of time to take stock of injuries back there."

Brendan just shrugged, waving his hand, "I'll be fine, physically. Emotionally... I don't know."

Before Nick could say anything else, Art came jogging over, and immediately, Joc ran to him, and clung to him, suppressing a sob. Art, the ever-compassionate one, simply returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around her smaller frame. While comforting Joc, Art looked up at Nick, a scowl written all over his face. "Nick, what the fuck are we supposed to do now? We're not soldiers! For fuck's sake, we're a bunch of teenagers and college students!"

Nick held up his hands in a placating gesture, "Hey, calm down. I didn't exactly sign up for this either."

Art pulled away from Joc, his brow creasing even further down, and he jabbed a finger into Nick's chest, "Calm down? _Calm down?_ I just watched one of my friends get shot down and damn near killed, and I risked my own life for an alien, simply because you roped me into this! This isn't my job!"

Nick pushed Art away from him, his own temper rising, "The hell are you yelling at me for? What was I supposed to do, Art? Just let the government take Liara away? Dissect her like some kind of lab rat? Treat her like some kind of animal?" As Nick's temper continued to rise, a drop of blood ran down from his nose, and a slight bluish hue began to coalesce along the surface of his skin. "Do you want out, Art? Is that it? Then go ahead, run! You still have the fucking choice! I don't!"

At this, Art's brow furrowed in confusion, momentarily halting his anger. "What are you talking about?"

Nick, still incensed, continued, "They don't know who you people are! They don't have your names or your faces! They have everything on me! If I stay here, I'll be lucky to be put in front of a firing squad! More likely, they'll either throw me in a cell and throw away the key, or they'll dissect me alive, just to see if Liara's influence did something to me! For fuck's sake, they'll probably dissect me just because of the element zero that I've inhaled from two separate crashes!" As Nick looked between the others, his angry haze started to abate slightly, seeing the wide eyes on all of them, with Art and Brendan actually taking a couple of steps back. "What?"

After a moment, Liara spoke up, "Nick, look at your hands."

Now thoroughly confused, Nick looked down, and nearly passed out; his hands were glowing biotic blue, as though he were preparing to use some kind of biotic attack. Nick's blood rate nearly tripled, and his eyes shot open wide. Panicking, Nick began to rub at his arms and hands, as though he were trying to wipe the biotic field off of his arms. In his frenzied state, the element zero in his body only became more excited, causing the field to distort around his body uncontrollably.

Liara, now becoming worried, called out, "Nick, you have to calm down! If you keep panicking like that, you'll overload your nervous system, and you'll kill yourself!"

Nick acted as though he hadn't even heard her, continuing to panic, blood almost flowing from his nose at a steady rate. Everyone began looking at each other, no one knowing what to do. Finally, Liara stepped forward, and grabbed ahold of Nick's head, forcing him to look at her.

"Nick, Nick! Calm down!"

As he stared into her eyes, he slowly but surely began to calm down, his muscles unknotting, and the biotic field around his body began to dissipate. After a few moments, the biotic field disappeared completely, and his eyes rolled back into his head. The last thing Nick remembered was the ceiling shooting into his vision, a sense of falling, before being caught, and staring into a pair of deep, bright blue eyes.

* * *

><p>As soon as Nick passed out, Art started to wring his hands, muttering, "Oh shit, oh shit, oh fucking shit fuck, I didn't mean to make him do that!" Ian stepped up to Art, and smacked him on the shoulder with his good arm. Art began rubbing the spot, and shot Ian a glare, "Ouch! What the hell was that for?"<p>

Ian shrugged, "To keep you from freaking out like Nick just did. We don't need you going into shock and passing out right along with him."

Before anyone could say anything else, footsteps could be heard, and the entire group turned around, only to see Hudson running up to them from across the garage, with Shepard and a trio of other personnel following behind him. Hudson skidded to a stop in front of the group, and his eyes widened as he saw Nick on the ground, unconscious, blood streaming from his nose, with Liara standing above him. "What happened?"

Liara spoke before anyone else, "Nick has inhaled a moderate to large quantity of element zero vapor, and it's already affecting his body; he just nearly burned his nervous system out in a biotic episode." Hudson cursed under his breath quietly, as Shepard stepped up, bending down to kneel next to Nick's body.

"We have to get him to our ship; our doctor can help make sure he survives this, and we have a couple of spare amps lying around that we can use on him. Without an amp, he's just as likely to do this again, but with fatal consequences."

Liara nodded, and Shepard waved two of the soldiers over, who hurriedly came over, each grabbing ahold of Nick's lifeless body, and they quickly carried him out of the garage. Hudson and Shepard turned to follow, but stopped momentarily, and Hudson turned to the rest of the group. "You guys should probably come with us. This hangar won't be safe for a whole lot longer."

Hearing this, Brendan spoke up, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Hudson stopped walking, and turned completely around, and walked back over towards the small group. "It's simple, really; the US government will have watched your three vehicles from orbit, and followed their position here. I would guess that within the next hour or two, this garage will be swarming with Special Forces. That's why we had you come here; this garage is over four miles from the actual launch facility, and it has over eight different tunnels that go in separate directions, to confuse anyone who could get this far. It'll buy us enough time to get you all space-born."

Ian stepped forward, his pain fueling his anger and annoyance, "What the hell do you mean, 'get us space-born?' I didn't sign up to get launched into another dimension! I have a life here, my family!"

Hudson let out a sigh, massaging his temples with his fingers for a few moments, before looking up at Ian, and responding, "That may be the case, but unlike what Nick said to you, the US government _does,_ in fact, know exactly who you all are, and that you are all here."

The four of them stood in stunned silence for a moment, before Art managed to regain control of his mouth, "H-how? How could they possibly-" Hudson cut him off, holding up his hand.

"They found the surveillance footage from the convention center in New York. If they haven't identified you all by now, they will have shortly. I'm afraid you're all out of options, just like Nicholas is." With that, Hudson turned, and walked towards the door he had come from, leaving the four to stand there and process what had just been told.

* * *

><p>As the doors opened to the med-bay, Dr. Chakwas looked up from her terminal, only for her brow to furrow at the sight of a man she had never seen before, being carried in by two of the Earth personnel, who quickly deposited him onto the nearest examination bed. "Excuse me, but who is this, and why have you brought him into my medical bay?"<p>

One of the two men turned to her, his face expressionless, "Ma'am, this is the man who found the Asari from the wreck yesterday; it appears that he inhaled quite a bit of eezo vapor, and nearly overloaded his nervous system not even a half hour ago. Hudson requested that he be implanted with an amp, as he's going with the Asari back through the distortion."

Chakwas immediately stood up from her chair, her mind racing as she moved about the bay. "Thank you, gentlemen. Now, if you'll excuse me, then, I have a delicate surgery to perform, and not as much time as I would like to do it in." The men nodded, and left. Dr. Chakwas quickly paced over to the AI core, and stuck her head in the door. "Legion? I could use your assistance; I have a patient who I need to implant with an amp, and not enough time to do it myself."

The Geth platform immediately turned to look at her, its head-flaps gyrating slightly, as though it were mimicking the furrowing of the brow in thought, before nodding, walking towards Chakwas. "Affirmative, doctor. We are at your command to assist in the biotic amplifier implantation."

* * *

><p>As Art, Ian, Brendan and Joc all filed out of the tram, Hudson stood in front of them, his arms held behind his back, watching them all. After a few moments of awkward silence, Hudson let out a sigh, before speaking, "Listen... I apologize for my abruptness, earlier. If... if any of you have the desire to talk to your parents or any family or friends before you go, now is the time to do it; we still have a couple of hours before Nick will be out of surgery, and there's-"<p>

Ian stepped forward, interrupting Hudson, "Wait, why is Nick in surgery?"

Hudson replied, one eyebrow raised, "To give him an amp, as well as some stimulants and artificial implants to stabilize the element zero in his body, so it doesn't kill him."

Ian nodded, and took a step back, "Alright. You were saying?"

Hudson cleared his throat, then continued, "As I was saying, we have private rooms we can let you use to say your final goodbyes to your families, either with a computer, or a phone, depending on what your parents have available to communicate with."

All of them nodded, each one thinking about what they should say as a final farewell to their loved ones. After a few moments, Brendan looked around, and spoke, "Hudson, where's Liara?"

The slightly older man just smirked at first, his eyes alight with a twinkle. "She's with Nick at the moment, making sure he pulls through his surgery ok." With that, Hudson turned and walked away, leaving the group alone to their thoughts, before each of them moved towards the small, empty rooms to make their calls. All, that is, except for Joc, who simply stood there, watching the others go. As soon as the last door closed, Hudson spoke, "Why aren't you going into one of the rooms to call your family?"

Joc stood there for a few moments, staring at him, before responding. "I... I'd rather not call them. I-if it's alright with you, I'd much rather just have some paper and a pen."

Hudson's brow furrowed. "Why?"

Joc lowered her eyes towards the ground, before speaking again. "I would prefer if most of my family thought I was dead. As for the paper, I'd just like to explain the truth to two people; my brother, and a friend of mine. Assuming I have the time to write two letters, and give them to you to mail them out?"

Hudson nodded, "Of course, I can arrange to have that taken care of. I must say, I find the writing of letters to be a little... archaic, but if that's what you'd prefer, of course I can manage that for you."

Joc's face took on a slight smile, the first and only one Hudson had ever seen, before it disappeared, and she nodded. "Thank you. I'll just... I'll just go into that room over there to write them." Without another word, Joc turned, and walked into one of the empty rooms, closing the door behind her.

* * *

><p>Art sat at the computer terminal, the screen showing the view from his home's webcam, as he looked at the faces of his parents, tears streaming down their faces. He sniffled, wiping his own tears away. "I'm sorry." His heart felt as though it were breaking as his dad walked away from the screen without saying a word, leaving his mother to sit there, still crying from his breaking the news.<p>

Art longed to say more, but he couldn't bring himself to find any more words. After a few moments, Art heard a door close in the background, and the sound of footsteps approaching the computer screen. The voice that came from the speakers nearly made Art double over in pain, near physical pain, as his handicapped brother stepped into view of the screen. He had been walking to his mother, but as soon as Augie saw his brother on the screen, his face lit up into the smile Art knew him for. "Hi Art, what's up?"

Art tried his hardest not to start crying, as he could feel the lump forming at the base of his throat. "Hey Augie. I... I'm ok. Did you go to CPI today?"

Augie, seemingly oblivious to the question, turned to his mother. "I want juice."

Art, ever patient in dealing with his brother, repeated the question, taking comfort in the familiarity of the scene, "Augie? Did you go to CPI today?"

Hearing the question this time, Augie shook his head at Art, "No."

Art opened his mouth to respond, and almost choked from the amount of raw emotion building up in his chest. He took a deep breath, before responding, "I see. Listen, Augie... I have to go somewhere for a very long time, and I can't come back."

Augie, still in the mindset of being thirsty, turned to his mother again. "Mom, I want juice."

His mother smiled slightly, even through the tears evident on her face. "Okay, Augie, I'll go get your juice. You just stay here and talk with your brother, all right?"

Augie nodded obediently. "Okay." After another reassuring smile, his mother left the screen, to go get Augie his juice.

Art couldn't help but smile at the sheer familiarity of what was unfolding in front of him, his heart hurting all the more, knowing that it was the last time he would be able to witness it. "Listen, Augie... I have to go somewhere for a very long time, and I can't come back. Augie... this..." Art let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead with his hand, "this'll be the last time you ever see me."

Augie's eyes opened wide, his face questioning, "Why?"

Art paused for a moment, trying to think of how best to explain what was going on for his brother. "Because... because there are bad people chasing me; and I have to go to a place far, far away from here to get away from them."

Augie simply repeated his question at the new information, "Why?"

Art tried his hardest to come up with a satisfactory explanation that his brother could understand. Every thought that came to mind, however, just seemed worse. Finally, Art just shrugged, a tear slipping past his self-control, trailing down his cheek. "Because they think I did something really bad, even though I didn't."

Augie reached towards the screen, as though to try to get to Art, "Come back!"

The tears began pouring from Art's eyes, his chest clenching painfully at the pitiful sight. "I-I'm afraid I can't, Augie. I'm sorry." He reached up and tried to wipe away the tears, a futile gesture as more fell.

Art's heart felt as though it had literally broken as he saw a tear slip down his brother's face, his words sounding more quiet and pitiful than before. "Come back!"

Art simply stared at his brother for a few moments, before an idea came to his mind, and he leaned forward, forcing a fake excited look onto his face, managing a half smile as he imagined his brother's response. "Hey, I'll be going to a good place. It'll be just like Star Wars."

As predicted, Augie's face lit up, smiling from ear to ear. "I like Star Wars! Han Solo is good!"

Art couldn't help but laugh, the sound of his brother being happier easing the pain, if only slightly. "Yeah... it'll be just like that; and I'll be meeting people just like Han Solo there! Hey, maybe I'll even meet Darth Vader, and I'll get to send you a _real_ light saber!"

Augie's face took on a scowl, one of the few faces that could always make Art laugh, "Darth Vader is not nice!" After a moment, Augie tried, with limited success, to mimic Vader's signature breathing, only making Art laugh more.

"I don't know, Augie. I'll bet I can make him nice!"

Augie's scowl became deeper, "No! No make Darth Vader nice!" Just then, Art's mother came back, holding a glass with juice in it, and handed it to Augie.

Art took a moment to try to recompose himself, before responding, "If... if you say so." he paused, stifling a sob. "Goodbye, Augie. Be a good boy for mom, dad, and Anneli, all right?"

Augie, however, was still focused on the previous topic, muttering, "Darth Vader not nice!"

Another tear streamed down Art's face, and he ignored it, continuing, "Augie, be a good boy for mom, dad, and Anneli, all right?"

Augie turned back towards the screen, nodding to Art. "Okay." Just before saying goodbye, Art saw his dad walk back into the view of the camera, his own face red from crying. Art felt the tears streaming anew. His father nodded to him, and put an arm around his mother.

"Goodbye. And... I'm sorry; for everything."

Art deactivated the computer, causing the screen to turn black. Without another thought or word, Art folded his arms, and dropped his head into them onto the edge of the desk, allowing the tears to flow, the sobs wracking his body.

* * *

><p>Ian slumped down at the terminal, resting his head on his uninjured arm, and sighed. Deeply. This wasn't how the Mass Effect convention was supposed to have gone. He'd always been betting on seeing Casey Hudson at some point...but not like this. Not in this fucking mess.<p>

Hudson had told them that they had a call, but a quick glance at the clock on the screen confirmed it was just about 10 pm, Canadian time, and while he wasn't exactly sure of the time difference between there and the UK, he had a fairly good idea it would be early morning over there. The house phone wouldn't be turned on, and even if it was, no-one would answer at that hour. Mobile phones, all switched off, friends and family alike. Ian had agreed to take the time to use the terminal, but he'd known the crushing truth before he'd sat down. There was no-one to call.

Not that it mattered. He couldn't leave a video message to prove anything about aliens, the Mass Effect universe, the fact he'd somehow wound up in Canada, because they didn't have a webcam. Even if an audio call got answered, he didn't trust himself to be able to say goodbye, not with all the questions it would leave unanswered for his family. He could see the shock on his parent's faces, the tears, the horrific looks he knew they'd have from mentioning the wounds he'd picked up. Them knowing he was still alive, but not able to come home. And like fuck would they believe anything about travelling into an alternate universe. Not that he blamed them.

He couldn't just leave them with nothing, though. A call wasn't possible, and it would just make things worse even if it was, but just disappearing? Ian shook his head lightly to himself. They'd constantly be worrying, searching. It would ruin their bloody lives.

It was easy enough writing about being taken into the Mass Effect universe, all the fun and adventure stopping Saren, working in C-Sec... The reality hurt. Hard. That naive little fantasy had turned into a waking nightmare. All it took was being in the wrong place at the wrong time, seeing Art, getting involved in this whole stupid fucking adventure. It wasn't Nick's fault, wasn't really even Casey's. Wrong place at the wrong time. And now, he couldn't even stay on Earth. He, and the rest of them, were strangers on their own bloody planet. And there was nothing any of them could do about it.

The call was out. But disappearing wasn't an option, either. As much as he was loathe to do it, Ian reached for the comm. unit Hudson had given him back in New York, cursing under his breath as he did so. The only course of action left to him, only way he knew he'd be able to give people closure, felt like a knife through his heart.

"Casey. You there?"

_"Yeah," _the man's voice came back through almost immediately. _"You all done in there?"_

Ian grimaced slightly to himself. "Not quite. I need you to do me a favor, though EDI might need to carry it out."

A small pause. _"Sure. What is it?"_

"I need to die, Casey."

An even larger pause. _"I-I'm sorry, what?"_

"Fake a police report, make a 911 call and report me falling into the Hudson River or something, I really don't fucking care," Ian said slowly. "I'm not gonna be a ghost here, Casey. If I go... I need to make it permanent. For my family's sake. For everyone's sake."

_"I... we can do that," _he finally replied. _"Are you sure?"_

Ian stood up from the table, feeling a strong urge just to kick it over and vent the pure anger, fury, sadness and frustration he was feeling, but held it back. Everyone was under enough stress already without him adding to it. "You said it yourself, Casey. We don't have a choice anymore." With that, he walked out of the room, fighting to hold back the tears clouding his vision.

* * *

><p>Brendan slumped into the chair, shaking his head. It had been a dream come true, he thought. For the first five seconds. Then the shit had hit the fan in epic proportions. He, Ian, Joc, Art, and Nick... they were all fugitives. He suppressed an urge to slam his fist into the monitor in front of him. He knew what the United Sates government was capable of when it wanted something. There was no going back, because of some goddamn completely unpredictable anomaly.<p>

He exhaled heavily, before reaching up to power on the monitor and tower. Hudson had let him borrow this to say his goodbyes to his family, and Brendan had just finished texting his parents to get their end set up so he could explain just where he was. After navigating through a few menus, he managed to get his link up and waited for the other end to connect.

"Jesus fucking Christ." He whispered quietly, closing his eyes for a few moments. How the hell was he going to explain all of this to his parents? He looked down at the armor he wore, that he refused to change out of. The simple fact was, he expected something else to go wrong soon enough, and he wanted to be prepared. And this would probably be one of the few ways he could convince his family. They'd never really gotten as interested in games and writing as he had. But this... this would be impossible to fake. They'd believe this. His head snapped back up as the connection was established.

"Brendan? What's going on?" His mother asked, concerned eyes watching from the screen, over a thousand miles away. He could see his stepfather, brother, and two sisters in the background, along with his grandmother, who'd been staying for a visit. Good. That was everyone he needed to say this to in person. He smiled weakly, feeling like he was going to fall over.

"Hey mom. Listen...there's something I have to tell you guys." he blinked rapidly, watching the worried faces of his family.

"Well, what is it? Nothing's wrong, right? Are you okay?" His stepfather asked, narrowing his eyes. "What are those scratches across your face?" He rubbed at the scrapes that he'd gotten from the gunship crash.

"You...you guys have seen the footage from what went down up here, right?" He asked quietly.

"Yes we have, but..." His mother stopped suddenly, eyes widening. "Oh bub, tell me you weren't a part of that!" Brendan gestured to his armor and weapons, causing the adult members of his family to gasp in shock.

"Yeah...I kinda was. Listen, I don't have time to explain everything, I'm sorry. But go upstairs, and get my copies of Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2. Ethan knows where they're at." Brendan looked at his 13 year old brother. The skinny dark-haired boy nodded, and left the screen. In a few moments, he was back with two cases. His parents and grandmother looked at the pictures, then back to him. "I don't know how best to say this..." He shook his head for a moment. "But it's real. All of it's real."

"What are you talking about, Brendan?" His grandmother asked, looking at the case she held. Ethan filled them in quickly, and they looked about in shock.

"Is this some kind of joke?" His stepfather asked, looking sharply at the camera. Brendan could only shake his head, blinking rapidly to try and avoid letting tears fall.

"No. I wish it was, but it's not. Guys...me and a few other of my friends are in the middle of something huge. Liara, the asari on that case," He pointed to ME1's case, "Apparently crash-landed on Earth just recently. A friend of mine found her in his basement, got ahold of us, and we all met at that convention I was going on about." They nodded, so he continued. "It turns out the government wants us and her, dead or alive." Brendan swallowed deeply, hoping to finish the last part without breaking down in front of his family. "Mom, Curt...I won't be coming home. We're going with Liara, we can't stay here now. We're wanted fugitives, and the feds will do whatever they can to catch or kill us. We don't have any choice. The reason I called was...I...I just had to say goodbye." He felt a tear slide down his face, but blinked again.

"But why? Can't this be worked out peacefully?" His sister asked hopefully. Brendan shook his head again.

"They won't do this peacefully. They want to capture Liara and dissect her, to examine her, or.. Or something. I know that none of you would stand for that, as I wouldn't." He saw pained looks on his family's face, but he turned to his grandmother with a determined expression. "If Pawpaw was here, he'd do the same thing. I've got to help them, as best as I can." She nodded silently, as a tear fell down her own face.

"I know, Brendan, I know. You know I love you, and your grandfather would be so proud of you." she smiled faintly. "Be careful." She choked out. He nodded, tears beginning to stream down his face. He turned back to his parents.

"I know you didn't want me to become a soldier, I know you think I can do better, but that's most likely what I'm going to be. Trillions of lives are at stake, what does that say if I turn my back on them?" He asked, voice cracking. His mother nodded quickly, tears flowing as well.

"We know, son." She said, obviously hiding sobs. "And that you're doing this, we're proud of you. So proud."

"Just remember that we love you, and we'll never forget you." His stepfather said, tears coming to his face as well. They'd had some trouble with each other, but they were all a family, and family stuck together. This broke the dam.

"I know...I know..." Brendan whispered, looking each of them in the eyes. "I love you all, and I won't forget you either. I guess...I guess this is goodbye." He felt the pang of loss hit harder than anything he'd ever felt before. Worse than when his grandfather had passed away. He reached up, and closed the connection, leaving a blank screen. Seconds later, he let his head fall to the table, and sobbed openly.

* * *

><p>Liara looked down at Nick's unconscious form, lying face up after the surgery. She couldn't help but feel something for him, this young man who had not only given up his entire life and future to save her, but to risk his actual life in helping her and saving the others from the wreckage. Many of his words kept running through her head; 'What kind of man would I be...' she knew, just by his actions, the kind of man Nicholas was. It didn't take too much thought to figure out that he was the rare kind of individual, the one that people would follow, the one that people would depend on, the kind who would willingly throw himself onto the grenade in the foxhole.<p>

Liara continued to stare at him, oblivious of the doctor and her mechanical assistant moving around her, cleaning up after the successful surgery, and looking down at him, realized that she felt something for Nick. She wasn't sure what the feeling was, but from what she could tell, it was a good feeling.

As Liara stood there, she heard the doors open, and glanced towards them, only to see Casey Hudson standing there, a grim look on his face. "Liara, we have a problem."

* * *

><p>AN: a problem, indeed.


	5. Chapter 5 High In The Sky

A/N: well, ladies and gentlemen, here's the next chapter. If you keep up with the reviews people post, then you're free to read my responses to said posts. Otherwise, just go ahead and skip down to the beginning of the actual chapter.

daedalusN7: I don't know if you read the first version of this story, but if you did... well, expect things to change. Not all at first, and not all at once. But definitely expect things to not go the same.

greed11: he doesn't need a high-tech scrambler. He has EDI.

Archerstar: I know what you mean; Wozzeck only gave me the conversation part of the text, and I filled in the rest. I damn near cried just _writing_ it.

ArmedSammy123: no it's not; America's history is filled with the "we take what we want" mentality. The American revolution, the annexation of the American continent from the East Coast to the West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico... hell, America forcibly occupied the Philippines for over four decades before/during/after WWII. America has four rules for acquiring things: either 1) buy it, 2) bribe someone for it, 3) threaten someone for it, or 4) forcibly take it. It's sad, but true. Don't get me wrong, I still love my country and the freedoms I enjoy, but this country is **not** made up of only saints, nor is it run by saints. Lastly, I am a conservative; I enjoy my guns and other rights. I am also a realist. Also... what the hell? I never even said a word about current issues; Iraq and Afghanistan are their own problems, ones I'm not even going to _touch._

FuckingTypo: first... Holy shit. Just... wow. Just for that absolutely stellar rebuttal, I might try to find a place to fit in your "F***ing rainbow master" in my story. Second, that's when the Normandy on Earth is from, yes. As for Liara, however... well, you'll see.

Dygen Entreri: why thank you. I know I'm taking this a completely different direction, but so far, it's been so much fun. And I try my hardest to make sure things make sense, or are relatively easy to follow. Working with other authors helps, as they help me fill in any problem spots that I might miss putting in some kind of explanation.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 5

Liara stared at Hudson, a questioning look on her face. "What do you mean, a problem? What sort of problem?"

Hudson let out a sigh, and began rubbing the back of his head. "It would seem that the US government has already hit the garage where we had you guys take the vehicles; they're a few hours earlier than we had predicted, which means we have to get things moving ahead of schedule. We're going to have to move Nick before he wakes up."

Liara's brow furrowed, "What do you mean?"

Hudson didn't say anything at first, but eventually responded, "Moving him immediately after surgery is risky. It could cause damage to his nervous system, or it could hurt him in some way we aren't sure about. His health is at a very precarious stage; normally, most people exposed to element zero this late in their lives don't survive it. The implants in his body should help stabilize the eezo, but moving him around too much before the implants can stabilize everything could cause damage. The truth is, we don't really know for sure."

Liara grimaced, before she set her jaw, clenching it, "And there's absolutely no other alternative? We cannot wait, even for just a short while?"

Hudson shook his head, "If we wait any longer, we may not even get your transport off the ground. We're pushing our luck as it is. Nick should be ok, so long as we use one of the hover stretchers. Do you think you have enough control over your biotics to move him from the bed to a stretcher without jostling him?"

Liara hesitated, unsure. After a few moments of thought, she squared her shoulders, and nodded, "I believe I can, yes."

Hudson didn't look so sure, "Are you positive? I don't want you to strain yourself, or accidentally slip and drop him."

Liara's eyes lit up with a previously unseen fire, "I _can_ do it."

Hudson just nodded, and with a wave of his omni-tool, one of the hovering medical transport beds floated over from its position along the far wall, coming to rest just next to the bed. He turned to Liara, and instructed, "Alright; all I need you to do is lift him up, as slowly and carefully as you can, so I can maneuver the transport bed underneath him. All you'll need to do is hold him in position, and I can raise the bed to meet him, at which point you release him. Do you understand?"

When Liara just nodded, Hudson stood at the ready, as Liara's body became engulfed in the telltale glow of biotics, and as she closed her eyes, she stretched her hands towards Nick's body, and after a moment, his body slowly began lifting off the medical bed, rising, extremely slow, but steadily, before coming to a stop about half a foot above the bed. Liara felt perspiration begin to fall down her face as she struggled to hold Nick in that position, as Casey maneuvered the hover bed under his body, and as he started to raise the bed, Liara's control started to falter.

"I've almost got it, Liara; just hold him there a few more seconds..." Just as the hover bed moved only a few inches from Nick's lifeless body, Liara's control slipped, and his body half fell, half drifted down onto the bed. Hudson gasped, worried about how the sudden movement could have affected Nick, but a quick scan with his omni-tool, and Hudson let out a sigh of relief. He turned to the Asari, a weary smile on his face, "Nice job, Liara. You held out just long enough. That small jolt wasn't enough to upset anything, so he should be safe for now."

Liara simply nodded, breathing heavily, trying to regain some of the strength she had lost in performing such a strenuous task with her biotics. After a few moments, she looked up at Hudson, and asked, "How... how long will it take before he will be safe enough to wake up on his own?"

Hudson just shook his head, "I couldn't tell you. But I guarantee he won't wake up until his body has adjusted enough so it won't hurt him. Now come on, we have to get moving!" Waving his omni-tool again, the hover bed began moving, albeit slowly, out the med-bay, and into the hallway, with Liara and Hudson both following behind it.

* * *

><p>The mood was especially somber as the four each left their respective rooms, and all stood around, no one really saying anything. Ian couldn't help but try scratching at his arm, the injury not quite healed, even with his suit having injected the site with medigel. Brendan, seemingly amused, couldn't help but retort, "So, Ian, does it itch or something?"<p>

Ian just shot Brendan a glare, "What do you think? Of course it itches! It's driving me absolutely crazy."

Brendan opened his mouth to reply, when one of the terminals along the wall nearby suddenly lit up, the telltale blue orb, the signature 'face' of EDI, appeared. "Excuse me, but your presence in the hangar bay is required. Preparations for evacuation are underway." Before any of them could respond, EDI's hologram disappeared, and a white line of light appeared on the floor, before turning off down one of the intersections in the hallway. With a shrug, Art started walking, and the rest immediately followed him.

As the four of them walked, Brendan couldn't help but notice the sheer lack of people in the facility. "Hey, is anyone else kind of weirded out by the fact that this entire place seems... I dunno... empty?"

Art nodded, "Yeah, it is pretty strange. Maybe they've all already evacuated the facility."

Ian spoke up, not looking at anyone in particular, "Or maybe they're stuck going through this portal like us. Or worse, being stuck to fight to the death to make sure we all get through the portal." No one had anything to say to that, so the group fell into yet another silence, this one more awkward than the last.

After a few minutes, and more seemingly endless halls, Brendan spoke up, "Alright, guys, I know this is a really shitty situation we're stuck in, but look on the bright side; at least they gave us some nice armor and weapons, right? I mean, it increases our survivability odds."

Art laughed hearing this, and turned to face Brendan, "Are you kidding? We're going into what will very likely be a _war zone_, Brendan. Now I don't know about you, but I'm a musician, not a soldier! Sure, I've shot a gun before, but not at something that was shooting _back_. I don't know the first thing about strategy!"

A voice sounded out from behind the group, "We took that into consideration when we planned this out." The entire group spun around, coming face to face with none other than Commander Shepard, who continued, "You should have a few months of relative peace and quiet down there, so we equipped your ship with a training program, with a few mechs and other things. You won't be soldiers by the end of it, but you'll be competent enough to become soldiers. Or at least, competent enough to be taken in by the Normandy when they find you all with Liara."

All of them just stood there, staring at the Commander as though he had grown a third eye or something. Letting out a sigh, Shepard shook his head, and walked past them, heading in a different direction as the lit floor. They all stood there for a few moments, staring, before Joc spoke up. "Ok, why the hell are you all practically drooling when you stare at him? Do you all have a man-crush on him or something?"

Joc smiled as they all three started to stutter out a half-coherent response, before Art finally regained his tongue. "Joc, Commander Shepard is like... well, he's essentially the messiah of the Mass Effect trilogy game series. Basically, without him, the universe ends. Though from what he told us, even he wasn't enough to save his galaxy." After a moment, Art let out a mirthless laugh, "And just think, we're going to be going to the same universe, more or less, that he came from, fighting the same galaxy-exterminating race of homicidal machines. Lovely." With that, Art started walking again, leaving Joc to stare at his retreating back, her jaw nearly on the floor.

* * *

><p>Hudson stood outside the Kowloon freighter, watching as Liara took Nick's unconscious form inside the ship, pushing the medical hover bed along. As soon as she disappeared inside, Hudson brought up his omni-tool, and activating the device, spoke aloud, "Alright EDI, how's the copying process coming along?"<p>

After a brief pause, EDI's holographic representation appeared over his omni-tool, and spoke into his implant within his ear, "The copying process will be completed momentarily. Unfortunately, I do not believe there will be enough time to run a system's diagnostic before the invading forces will have infiltrated this compound."

Hudson nodded, "Very well. Are the others on their way?"

"Affirmative. They will be arriving in the door behind you momentarily."

With that, EDI's avatar disappeared from his omni-tool, and Hudson spun around, putting his hands behind his back, just as the door opened, showing Art, Brendan, Ian, and Joc stepping in, their eyes wide at the sight of the freighter. Hudson smirked slightly, before speaking to them, "This is going to be your new home away from home. It'll be slightly cozy inside, but it will accommodate all of your needs."

Brendan took a step forward, a questioning look on his face, "So, what all is inside?"

Hudson brought his omni-tool up again, showing a display of the kowloon freighter. "This ship, also known as the MSV Santa Maria, will be your home for a few months, up until the arrival of the Geth and the Normandy on Therum. What you do with the ship at that point is up to you. However, it would likely be in your best interests to make sure you keep it somewhere safe, as there are a number of... features... aboard the ship, that will aid you greatly in the long run. As for what they are, I'll let you discover for yourselves, as we're running low on time." With that, Hudson closed his omni-tool, and gestured towards the freighter, "Alright, all of you, it's time to get a move-on!"

Without another word, the group of authors and gamers walked forward, into the gaping maw that was the door of the cargo ship, each in their own futuristic armor, weapons equipped, and eyes straight ahead, the past left behind as a memory.

* * *

><p>Samuel stepped out of the helicopter, bundled in his winter coat that held back the Canadian snow. One of his lieutenants ran up to him, throwing up a salute before reporting, "Sir, we've gained entrance to what appears to be some kind of hidden underground garage. The vehicles that we tracked here seem to have been moved, however. We've discovered three tunnels leading into different directions so far, and we believe there are more."<p>

Samuel nodded, and began walking towards the uncovered entrance as he responded, "I want teams sent down each tunnel, and make sure that we keep in communications with the teams at all times." The director looked around, standing at the entrance, before walking down into the tunnel, "The more we uncover, the more it would seem we have some unwanted visitors on our planet."

* * *

><p>As Nick began to regain consciousness, the first thing he realized is that it felt as though his head was on fire. The next thing he noticed was the excessively bright lights above him, followed by an increase of the pain in his head from the light hitting his eyes. He groaned, and brought a hand up to his head, massaging his eyes gently, willing them to work better so he could see. After a few moments, Nick heard footsteps of someone approaching, and he soon after felt a small, gentle hand placed on his upper arm. "Nick, you're alright. Just lie still for a few moments, and the dizziness will pass."<p>

Nick squinted, turning his head towards the familiar voice, and slowly but surely, his vision began to focus, and he smiled as he realized that Liara was there. As he looked up at her, he started trying to remember what had happened, and why his head would hurt as badly as it did. Nick's eyes began to roam around the room, and as he looked around, he realized that he seemed to be inside a futuristic room of some kind. His brow furrowed, but a moment later, his eyes shot open, his memories rushing back. Nick lifted his hands from the sides of the bed, holding them up where he could see. He looked at his palms, then the backs of his hands. After a moment, Liara pushed his hands back down.

"Nick, you are all right. What you experienced was a biotic episode. It nearly hurt you, but you are ok."

Nick looked down at his body, and realized he was in a hospital gown. His gaze moved back up to the Asari, his brow furrowed, questioning, "Liara? What happened to me?"

Liara let out a soft sigh, and she looked away from Nick as she spoke, "You began to panic when you saw that your body was reacting to the element zero inside of you. It could have killed you if you had not calmed yourself. Once you were unconscious, you were taken into one of the medical facilities on-site, where you were implanted with an L5 biotic amp implant."

Nick's eyes shot open wide again, and one of his hands moved to the back of his neck. He recoiled in shock and revulsion as his hand came into contact with a small piece of metal protruding from his neck, though only just above the skin, to keep from healing over. He rubbed at the metal protrusion idly, as his mind began to wander, considering what he had just been told. After a moment, he glanced up at the Asari, "So, I'm a biotic now?"

Liara simply nodded. As he thought about it, Nick smiled, mentally comparing the biotics to the Force from Star Wars. With an inward shrug, Nick closed his eyes, began to focus on his body, and tried to picture the element zero inside of him. He wasn't sure what to expect, but as his attention turned inward to his body, he began to feel a strange tingling feeling, similar to static buildup. Opening his eyes, Nick's smile grew wider, seeing a very slight blue glow around his hands. He looked up to Liara, only to see her staring at him, her eyes wide. "By the goddess! That is truly impressive, Nick. Most biotics take hours, days, to be able to cause the element zero in their bodies to react to their nervous systems!"

Nick just nodded, looking around the room. As he sat up, he spoke aloud, "Liara, when can I get out of here?" Before she could respond, a humming sound came out of nowhere, and a vibration could be felt throughout the entire room. With that, Nick practically threw his legs off of the bed, dangling them off to the side as he prepared to stand up, "On second thought, now sounds good."

Before Liara could say anything, Nick pushed himself forward, off of the bed and onto his feet. As soon as his full weight went onto his legs, they nearly gave out, and he lost his balance, falling forward. Liara, thankfully having already been standing there, was able to catch him, and held onto him. "Be careful, Nick! Causing more harm to yourself at this point would make the effort to help you meaningless." Nick nodded, his face slightly pale. Liara continued to help support him as he regained his strength, which took a couple of minutes.

Finally, Nick pulled away from her, slowly, and stood on his own two feet. He glanced around the room, before spying his armor. He started shuffling over to it, being more mindful and careful than before. "Liara, could you help me get my armor on? It should help support me on my own."

"Of course. Though I will just turn around until you put on the underlay. Then I will assist you." Nick glanced over his shoulder as he picked the two pieces of mesh under-suit up, and satisfied that Liara was looking away, dropped the thin hospital gown off, and began sliding the bottom section of the mesh underlay on. As Nick slid it up over his waist, he let out a grunt as he nearly lost his balance, falling towards the floor. Almost immediately, he felt a pair of warm hands catch him, pressing against his bare back and left side. With a smirk, he looked over his shoulder at the now-blushing Asari.

"Geeze, Liara, twice in two days? Keep this up and people might start thinking you like seeing me with my shirt off." Nick just laughed as her blush became even deeper, and she attempted to stutter out a reply, to which he just waved his hand, "Relax, Liara. I'm just giving you a hard time."

Liara's brow ridge just furrowed at that, "A hard time? I was unaware that time could be considered hard..."

Nick laughed as he righted himself, moving out of Liara's grip to stand on his own, "It's an expression. It means I'm just having a little fun with you, being sarcastic. I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't be so much of a smart-ass."

Liara's brow furrowed even deeper. "How can an ass be smart?"

After hearing that, Nick could only face-palm.

* * *

><p>Brendan, Art, Ian and Joc all walked into the interior of the Kowloon freighter, their mouths open in awe at the sight. They stepped into the large, spacious cargo area, each of them taking note at the various crates stacked all around, as well as the large M29 Grizzly all-terrain vehicle parked off to one side. They all continued deeper into the ship, and walking through a narrow hallway, came into the bridge. Seeing the various controls, Ian made to move into the pilot's seat, when Brendan held out his arm, stopping him. "Oh no you don't; you got us shot down the last time you flew. This time, <em>I'm<em> flying."

Before Brendan could move, however, another voice sounded from behind them. "Actually, I'll be flying this rig this time, boys." The entire group spun around, and immediately they all smiled, seeing Nick standing there, back in his armor, with Liara at his side. Art immediately stepped up to him, and looked away towards the left, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Listen, Nick, I just wanted to apologize-"

Nick just waved the apology off, "Hey, don't worry about it, Art. Tensions were running high, and we were all stressed. Besides, if you hadn't set me off like that, I may not have been able to get the help I needed in time. Nor would I have likely received an L5 amp." At Art's questioning glance, Nick turned around, showing the group the small metallic protrusion visible at the base of his neck.

Art couldn't help but respond, "So you got an amp? That means you're a biotic now?" Nick turned around, nodding at his question.

Brendan spoke up from behind Art, "Wait, I thought that being exposed to element zero after birth was supposed to kill you?"

Nick shrugged, "I guess either Hudson or Shepard's crew came up with a way to bypass that, because I'm clearly not dead." Nick looked down, examining his body rather thoroughly. "At least, I don't think I'm dead." Everyone smiled at his obvious joke, before he looked up, and his smile faded, his eyes set on the front of the ship. The rest of them turned, only to see EDI's hologram there.

"I apologize for intruding, but Hudson would like to speak to you all." Her avatar disappeared, and a holographic image of Hudson appeared in her place.

"I just wanted to make sure you're all ready to leave. We have reports of US soldiers nearing our compound through the tunnels, and the remainder of us are loading up in the Normandy. We'll escort you to the distortion, but once through, you'll be on your own."

Nick took a step forward, "You're not coming with us?"

Hudson shook his head, "We can't, Nick. Just sending you five will severely alter the timeline on the other side, considering the fact that your being with Liara will ultimately affect the timeline there." Seeing the looks on the faces of everyone standing there, Hudson smiled. "You can all relax; we'll be safe here on this Earth. Bioware has other safe locations across the globe where we can hide the Normandy. After all, with the technology we've been reverse engineering and slowly introducing into the world economy, we've got plenty of income to keep our operations going."

Hudson glanced behind him, off-screen, before turning back. "You've got to leave, now. Whoever's going to fly, get it going. We'll escort you out." With that, the man's holographic image disappeared from the console. Without another word, Nick stepped forward, and sat down in the pilot's seat. He turned around towards the group.

"So, are you going to draw straws as to who co-pilots? Or do I have to chose?" Ian and Brendan looked at each other, shrugged, and each held up a closed fist. They each pumped their fists up and down once, twice, a third time, before bringing them down a final time, Ian's hand held out flat, while Brendan's hand had two fingers stuck out in the shape of a v. Ian let out a sigh as Brendan smiled.

"Scissors beats paper; I've got shotgun!" Brendan practically threw himself at the co-pilot's seat, shifting to make himself comfortable. Nick just smirked from his seat as the others took their seats, four extra seats having been added behind the pilot and co-pilot's seats. The console in front of Nick lit up with numerous holographic displays. He furrowed his brow, before turning to the holopanel.

"Uh, EDI? Do you think you could help me out a little?"

A moment later, most of the displays disappeared, and two joysticks, configured similar to how his car had been configured, extended from a frontal compartment, and right in front of Nick. He grinned, reaching out and grasping the two control sticks. After a moment, his eyes went wide, remembering something, and he quickly reached to his arm, retracting a small compartment, only for his Sentry Interface to pop out, which he quickly took and put in place over his eyes.

"This is MSV Santa Maria, we are prepped and clear for launch."

A moment later, another familiar voice rang over the intercom, "This is the Normandy, we are ready to escort you. We will be following you up, so prep your systems and launch already." Nick couldn't help but smile, recognizing the voice as belonging to Joker.

"Alright, alright, we're leaving Joker!" Nick shook his head as he began pressing buttons, instructions lighting up in his visor telling him what to do. Within moments, the freighter began to hum louder and louder, the engines powering up, lifting the ungainly vessel off the floor of the hangar, as the doors above parted, allowing the ship access to the skies.

* * *

><p>As the Normandy began to lift off from its own hangar, Shepard moved to walk out of his quarters, but stopped, glancing over to his desk. His eyes focused on the picture there, his heart yearning for the woman whose portrait he kept. With a sigh, he turned away from the picture, muttering to himself, "I wasn't able to save you before, Liara. This time... this time is different. It will be different."<p>

* * *

><p>Samuel stopped as his walkie-talkie chirped at him, a voice emanating from within it. "Director! There are two hangars of some kind opening up out here!"<p>

The Director immediately grabbed his walkie-talkie, keying the talk button, "Are there ships in them?"

"Yes sir! They both appear to be taking off!"

Samuel swore under his breath. "Bring in those F-22s from the border! _I want those ships!_"

* * *

><p>Lieutenant Jackson shook his head in confusion as the orders flashed on his screen. He keyed his mic, speaking to his wingman, "Is this for real? We're actually getting ordered into <em>Canada?<em>"

His wingman promptly responded, "I'm getting the order too; confirmation just came in. I guess we're going into Canada."

Jackson shook his head again, before easing the joystick to the right, flying over the US border into another country. Their destination was only a couple of minutes of flight time over the border, but Jackson still felt uneasy. His gut feeling was that he was in way over his head, but being a lieutenant, he didn't exactly have much say in whether or not to be involved.

As the targets came into range, Jackson lifted his flight visor, his eyes wide as saucers. His mind was unable to comprehend the two _shapes_ lifting off into the skies from the ground, their aerodynamic shapes, or rather their lack thereof, looking completely foreign to him. He glanced down at the orders still on his screen, before shaking his head, lowering his visor, and arming his missiles and machine guns.

As his computer system targeted the more predatory looking ship, a flicker of static briefly crossed his screen. Jackson immediately began looking for a problem; a 'flicker' on the screen of a multi-million dollar jet plane flying a thousand feet above the ground at speeds of over mach 2 run almost entirely by computer was a rather big deal. As he tried to diagnose the problem, the static washed over the screen again, before every single display went dark, but the jet continued forward, the engine running heedless of his controls. Before he could attempt anything else, a feminine voice sounded in his helmet, making his blood run cold.

"**Assuming direct control.**"

* * *

><p>Joker began laughing uncontrollably as he heard EDI speak through the comm. systems at the fighter pilots, knowing full-well how unnerving it would be to suddenly lose control of the bird beneath you.<p>

"That's right, EDI! Show those wannabes how it's done!"

* * *

><p>As Samuel stepped out of the garage entrance, out of breath from running, his eyes went up towards the sky, watching the three F-22s approaching the two space ships. As the three small specks continued to get closer to the two shrinking dots in the sky, Samuel's brow furrowed, and he wondered aloud, "Why haven't they fired their missiles at those ships yet? They're well within range."<p>

As he watched, however, his face grew pale, watching the three jets veer directly towards the two hangars, firing their missiles directly into the underground facility. With a spectacular roar, Samuel was thrown to the ground from the shockwave, the facility being completely and utterly destroyed.

* * *

><p>As the Kowloon freighter finally made it past the atmosphere, everyone in the cabin began cheering, each one elated that they had finally made it into space. Nick simply breathed a sigh of relief, which turned into a gasp of surprise as EDI's hologram appeared in front of him. "I will fly the ship through the anomaly, to ensure as little chance for error as possible."<p>

Nick nodded, pulling himself away from the controls, "No argument from me, EDI. Last thing I want to do is accidentally get the ship torn to shreds because I sneezed while taking us in or something."

Before Nick could say anything else, a communiqué appeared in his Sentry Interface. Reading it, Nick turned and began walking off the bridge. Ian spoke up, "Where you heading to, Nick?"

"Hudson told me he wants to talk to me in private before we pass through the disturbance. Don't worry, I'll be back in time to watch the light-show."

With that, Nick stepped out of the bridge, and through the hallway into the empty cargo hold. After a moment, his omni-tool activated, and his Sentry Interface suddenly went opaque, before shifting to a view from within the Normandy's communications room, showing Hudson standing there, leaning against the table. He spoke up almost immediately, "Well Nick, it would seem this is where we say our goodbyes. I just wanted to wish you luck." Hudson paused, before his eyes widened slightly, "Oh, before I forget; your ship has a copy of all of EDI's runtimes. So, in essence, you'll be taking EDI with you. Don't worry, she'll be an asset to you, so long as you use her wisely."

Nick nodded, "Thank you, Hudson. We couldn't have gotten this far without your help."

Strangely enough, Hudson smiled at that, a rather predatory smile. "Yes, Nick; I know. In fact, it was my plan."

Nick's brow furrowed, a worrisome knot forming in his stomach, "What do you mean?"

Casey Hudson stood up from against the table, walking closer to the camera, seeming to grow larger in Nick's visor. "Liara's arrival wasn't an accident, any more than our arrival here. Though for you to understand, I think I may need to... clear things up a little."

Before Nick could say anything, Hudson turned away slightly, and bent down, reaching up to his eyes with one hand, and pulling away what appeared to be some sort of contact lenses. As soon as he did so, he began rapidly blinking, before shaking his head, and turning back towards the camera, the predatory look on his face again. Nick's blood ran cold at the sight; Hudson, staring at him with bright blue, mechanical eyes. "No..."

Hudson nodded, "Yes, Nick. Even here, to these people, I remain as Illusive as ever I was. Make sure you take care of Liara, Nick. Take care of all of them; succeed, where I failed. Save my galaxy from the Reapers." With that, the connection cut, and Nick was left to stand there, completely dumbfounded.

After what felt like forever, Nick numbly walked back into the cockpit, as the Kowloon freighter, MSV Santa Maria, sailed directly into the center of the black, void of a hole, the spatial disturbance pulling in the ship effortlessly, before vanishing, the darkness seeming to disappear, the stars behind it becoming visible again.

* * *

><p>AN: So, confused all to hell yet? Just wait, the games have only just begun.


	6. Chapter 6 Back Room Schemes

A/N: Ok, I finally have the next chapter here for your reading enjoyment. I have to admit, I don't have a lot of experience in non-combat chapters, so that's the main reason for the delay here. And for a while, any other non-combat, inter-personal chapters will likely take a little longer than the others; at least until I get better at writing them. If you haven't gathered this already, no, this chapter is not an action chapter. I'm working at not repeating my previous mistakes of trying to rush my plot along; hence, the escape from Earth took five chapters.

Dreaded-DeathX: I have to say, I thoroughly enjoy reading your reviews. The past "five riveting chapters" more or less wrote themselves in my mind. And trust me, I have *plenty* of ideas to go into this story. Some will make it, others will not. So even I'm not sure where this story'll go. But it'll sure be a fun adventure. And no, Nick's biotics won't advance too rapidly.

Everyone else: I truly appreciate your reviews, and thank you all. It feels great to read them and see the emotions that I'm able to get from my writing.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 6

Nick watched through the front window as the ship went through the distortion, and he couldn't help but reach out and grab a chair to stabilize himself as he was overcome with a sense of vertigo, the portal wreaking havoc with his inner ear. Then, all at once, it was over, and the entire group found themselves staring out the window at the dull brown planet below them, the sporadic areas of volcanic activity clearly visible, even from space. Nick couldn't help but stare in awe, disbelieving in that he was looking down at a completely foreign planet.

Without any hesitation, Liara moved to the pilot's seat, and activated the comm. unit, "This is Liara T'soni aboard the transport MSV Santa Maria to Nova Yekaterinburg, requesting permission to approach the Prothean dig site."

After a moment, a response came through the line, "This is Nova Yekaterinburg flight control to the Santa Maria; is everything alright? You disappeared off our sensors for a few moments."

Liara responded quickly, "Everything is fine. Just a hiccup with our equipment, the problem has been fixed."

"Copy that, Santa Maria. You are cleared for approach vector seven to location three oh two niner. Over and out."

With that, Liara breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile for everyone aboard. She then addressed the group, "Well, that was the easy part. Now, while EDI takes the ship down, I will connect to the nearest comm. buoy to discover the current date." The Asari began manipulating various displays, multiple figures and text scrolling across her screen. After a moment, one screen appeared, dominating the rest of the screens.

Staring at the screen, no one was more shocked than Liara, seeing the date set at January first, twenty one eighty three. Pressing another series of buttons, the date-stamp disappeared, and a voice filled the cockpit. "...In other news, the Hero of Elysium was reported to have led the assault against the Batarian stronghold, based on the planet Torfan. Initial reports indicate that Alliance casualties were at a record low for the size of the operation, but critiques point out unnecessary violence from the part of Commander Shepard. She declined on commenting at the time, however. It is estimated-" Liara cut off the feed, her face a slightly paler shade of blue. She turned and looked at Nick.

"She? I thought that Commander Shepard was a man."

After a few moments of thought, Nick just shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you, Liara. We must be in a slightly different version of the Mass Effect universe from the one that the other Shepard came from."

Jocelyn spoke up from her seat, her face betraying the confusion she felt, "Ok, can someone please explain to me what the hell is going on? I'd really like to know why I've been dragged along on this trip, and I'd like to know what's going to happen to me!" Her frustration was clearly evident, as a single tear slid down her face as she half-yelled her question. Thankfully, Art spoke up.

"Joc, you remember those two stories I had you read? The ones that I wrote?" She just nodded, so he continued, "Well, that's the universe we're in. The one with the Normandy and Commander Shepard and all those other people."

Joc's eyes grew wide. "B-but what are we supposed to do? I don't know how to fight with guns!"

Nick walked over to Joc, bending down onto his knees to look at her, eye to eye, "Look, we're all stuck in this situation, Jocelyn, ok? I promise you I don't know how to adequately fight here, but we've got time to learn. All of us do." Nick stood up, took a step back, and addressed everyone, "I know that it's my fault that you all are here." Before anyone could protest, he held up his hand, and continued, "If I hadn't communicated with any of you, you would all still be back on Earth, regardless of whether you blame me or not."

Art stood up from his chair, and stepped up in front of Nick. "Look, Nick, just stop. What's done is done. We're here now, and that's not going to change any time soon. I know I don't blame you. Am I pissed that this happened? Definitely! Is it your fault? Not even slightly."

Ian joined in, standing as well, "We're all in this together, Nick." After a moment, Ian smirked, "Besides, I doubt you could do this without our help. Definitely not without our style and flare." Hearing that, Nick couldn't help but smile a little, while everyone else just laughed.

Nick finally nodded, smiling, "Alright, I get the point."

Liara spoke up from the pilot's seat, "We're about to land, everyone. Please take your seats." Everyone quickly sat down, Nick moving to take the seat that Liara had been sitting in while he had been flying. They all watched, their attention rapt on the closely approaching ground. After a few moments, the cargo ship momentarily hovered over the ground, before touching down, settling into the rocky and ashen surface. Inside, however, they couldn't even feel the landing.

As Liara powered down the transport, everyone began standing up, and Nick addressed her, "So Liara, now that we're here, what are you going to do?"

She replied as she stood, "Well, the majority of the ruins down there should already be excavated. However, I was supposed to be coming alone; explaining the presence of you five could be problematic."

Brendan spoke, inputting his own idea into the conversation, "Well, you could say that you hired us as protection against some rumored pirate activity or something, and as archaeological assistants when we aren't busy guarding you."

Art nodded, "That could work. We could even work in shifts, having a couple of us training while the others are down helping you work, Liara."

Nick took a half a step forward, "And in the evenings, we can meet up all together, plan out whatever will be going on the next day, and maybe take a half hour or so for you to help teach me how to use my biotics, Liara."

There was a momentary lull, which Jocelyn took to speak, "And what exactly will I be doing?"

Art turned to the girl, and replied, "Well, if you'd prefer, you can work with me on whatever I end up working on. And we could both learn how to shoot."

Ian finally added his own input after a few seconds of silence, "Where are we all bunking at night?"

No one seemed to have an answer to that question. As a whole, everyone moved out of the bridge, into the adjacent hallway. A glance into the first room showed it as the common area, with a mess table being the most prominent feature in the room. Continuing further in, the second and only other small room before the cargo bay opened up, revealing a number of storage lockers, as well as eight wall-mounted bunks. As a group, they all moved into the room, and each person began claiming their own bunk. Nick took the bunk on the left side of the room, closest to the door, and as he opened the locker, he smirked, seeing the clothing that had been provided to them.

Nick reached in, and pulled out what looked to be a set of cargo pants and a loose shirt, similar to the outfits worn by the SR-2 crew, but with blue and grey, rather than black and white, and where the Cerberus logo would have been was again the blue circle with two dots inside, one above the other.

Nick's attention was drawn to a terminal next to the door as it lit up suddenly, and EDI's holographic orb appeared above it. "Are your accommodations satisfactory?"

Almost everyone in the room except for Nick was startled at the AI's appearance. Art voiced his surprise, quite vividly. "Jesus Christ on a pikestaff! EDI, what the hell? I thought you were on the Normandy?"

The AI responded, "Actually, Art, I am simply a copy of the original EDI, who is still aboard the original Normandy in your old reality. Hudson felt that my presence here would prove vital in assisting you against the Reapers, and so copied my entire code into a duplicate AI core installed inside this ship."

Nick spoke up as he began taking his guns off of his back, setting them down on a small table in the middle of the room. "So what will you do once we get onboard the Normandy?"

EDI was quiet for a moment, presumably thinking, before responding, "I am unsure. That possibility was not anticipated for. I do not believe that Hudson had finished his plan yet when you contacted him with your predicament with Liara."

Nick nodded, sitting down with his guns, becoming slightly lost in thought. After a few awkward moments of silence, Liara spoke up, "It is not a pressing concern at the moment. We have some time yet to decide."

After EDI's hologram disappeared, no one said anything for a short while, as everyone moved about, moving things around from their lockers, the women moving their own clothing into the storage containers, while the men all began examining their guns and armor at the few tables in the room. After a while of this, Brendan spoke up, "Hey, Liara, are there any settlements nearby?"

The Asari turned to him, her brow furrowing. "Yes, there is; a small space-port for the colony, approximately ten minutes away by ground vehicle. Why?"

Brendan shrugged, "I was kind of hoping I could possibly take a trip in? See the sights, check out the locals, distract myself from the fact I'm in another dimension. You know, little things like that."

Ian and Art both stood up, picking up their weapons, and Ian spoke up, "You know, that actually sounds like a good idea. I think I'll come with you."

Art nodded, "Me too. Could be fun." He turned to Joc, "You want to come with, too?"

Jocelyn looked between Art and the two guys and Nick and Liara, before turning back to Art, nodding. "Sure."

Before either Nick or Liara could say anything, the four of them began walking towards the door, and Ian spoke to the AI. "EDI, would you be so kind as to prep the Grizzly, and to have a map to the space port? I'll need it to drive there."

The AI never had a chance to respond, as Brendan took off running around him, yelling out, "Not this time! I'm driving!"

Ian followed him out, and Nick and Liara could hear him yelling back at Brendan, "The hell with that! You'll drive us right into a lava pit!"

Art and Jocelyn just filed out through the door, smiling and shaking their heads at the two's antics, leaving Nick and Liara to stand there, both of them somewhat confused at what had just happened. From the small room, the two of them could hear the Grizzly engine come to life, roaring inside the cargo ship, before a slight jolt passed through the ship, as the large vehicle rocketed out of the cargo hold. For a moment, silence permeated the air.

Finally, Nick spoke up, "Liara, I think we've been rooked."

The Asari furrowed her brow, "Rooked?"

Nick turned to her, nodding, "Yeah, rooked. It's a term derived from a Human game called chess; essentially, it means we just got the short end of the stick."

Liara looked more confused than ever. "What stick?"

Nick glanced at her from the table he was sitting at, before dropping his forehead onto the table with a rather loud 'thud.'

Liara stepped over to the table, worry painting her features. "Nick, have I done something wrong?"

With a sigh, Nick lifted his forehead from the table shaking his head, "No, Liara, you haven't done anything wrong. It's just that I like to use expressions, or figures of speech, a lot, and I'm quickly discovering that you don't know what any of them mean. So for a while, I'm going to just have to get used to explaining my expressions to you." Nick glanced around, before standing up, "So, do you need any help getting your equipment out into the ruins?"

Liara smiled, nodding, "Yes, having some help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you."

Nick smiled back, giving her a slight nod, "It's no big deal."

The two of them then walked out of the room, heading into the cargo bay to move Liara's equipment.

* * *

><p>Joc grimaced as the Grizzly rocked to the side yet again, her stomach starting to churn at the rather choppy driving. She turned towards the front, calling out, "Brendan, either you figure out how to drive this thing in a straight line, or <em>I'll <em>come up there and drive!"

Ian and Brendan, in the Copilot and pilot's seats, respectively, both called out over their shoulders simultaneously, "Not a chance!"

Art couldn't help but laugh as Joc began grumbling under her breath, as the Grizzly jolted again, hitting another large bump in the ground. After a few moments more, Art called out, "Hey, why exactly are we taking this little field trip to the local space port?"

Ian turned back, a grin on his face. "First, it gets us out and about so we can meet some new people. Second, it gives Nick and Liara some time alone together."

Art's brow furrowed a bit, "Why would that matter?"

Ian's eyebrows rose in surprise, "You mean you haven't noticed?"

Art gave the co-pilot a questioning look, "Noticed _what_?"

Brendan glanced back with a grin on his own face, "The way Nick and Liara both look at each other. They may not know each other very well, but it's quite obvious that Liara thinks the world of him, probably from Nick saving her sorry ass from the government. As for him... well, he's a guy; I don't think I really need to elaborate on that."

Before Art could reply, Jocelyn spoke up from next to him, "No, I don't think that's what Nick's thinking."

Brendan tossed Joc a curious glance, "What makes you say that?"

Joc shrugged, "The way he looks at her. He's always looking at her face, not her body. And I've only seen his gaze slip once or twice down towards her butt, and he almost immediately corrected himself." Joc's face took on a half-smile, half-smirk, before continuing, "Of course, that being said, Nick pays an awful lot of attention to Liara."

Art looked at the other three, shaking his head. "So your brilliant plan is to help shack the two of them up?"

The three of them all looked at each other, before turning to Art and nodding. "Yep, pretty much."

Art just shook his head more, dropping his head into his hands. "I am _so _not getting involved in this." Hearing everyone else laughing, Art just scowled at the three of them. "Ok, fine, laugh it up. So what exactly are we going to do at this spaceport?"

Everyone stopped laughing as they all began to consider their options. Ian spoke up first, "I was considering checking to see if they had any games for sale."

Art gave Ian a rather incredulous look, "Games? Seriously? We're in another dimension, where our very lives could depend on how well we learn to fight in the next few months, and you want to check out _games?_"

Without missing a beat, Ian nodded. "Yeah, something like that."

Before Art managed to regain control of his senses, EDI's orb appeared over the dash of the Grizzly. "I would suggest locating someone to hire to aid in teaching you all how to fight. I have searched the records in the spaceport, and have found three suitable candidates to approach on this subject."

Art just grimaced to himself as three images appeared over the console, two humans and one Turian. "Well, just what I wanted to spend my afternoon doing."

* * *

><p>Within a dark chamber, a single man sat in his chair, a glass of expensive wine held in one hand, with a custom made cigarette in the other. He inhaled on the cigarette for a moment, before exhaling the fumes, enjoying the feeling as he perused the various reports scrolling across his screens. His attention immediately perked, as the sound of heels clicking across his floor came to his ears. After a moment, he knew exactly who it was without even turning around, as there was only one person allowed to enter these chambers who would walk in heels.<p>

Continuing to look forward, the window showing the ancient star bathing his face in an eerie reddish light, he spoke aloud, "What do you have to report?"

The woman stepped into his vision, her white cat-suit leaving little to the imagination. "Our operatives on Akuze have just reported in. The Alliance squad landed directly within the nest, just as predicted. The scientists were even able to capture one of the soldiers alive. With your go ahead, they plan on beginning the tests on the Thresher Maw acid with the soldier as the test subject."

The Illusive Man pondered this development for a moment, taking a sip of his wine, allowing it's burning sensation to pass down his throat, before nodding. "Begin the experimentation."

The woman nodded, and immediately turned, walking out of the room, leaving the Illusive Man to continue to sit there, staring out the window. After a few moments, however, an alert appeared on one of his holographic screens. Curious, he brought up the screen, only for his brow to furrow, seeing that he had a message addressed directly to him, through Cerberus channels, but from an unidentified source.

Opening the message, The Illusive Man's eyes widened, the wine-glass slipping from his fingers, shattering onto the ground, as he saw the contents of the message. A single image, showing a blue circle, with two dots, one above the other, inside of the circle; The Illusive Man's personal, and quite private, signature. He wracked his brain, and after a few minutes, realized that there was no one in this universe who could possibly know the symbol. Running various possibilities through his mind, he settled onto the only logical possibility: there was someone from another dimension who knew his signature symbol.

Scrolling down further through the message, The Illusive Man's gaze fell onto a string of numbers, likely an account to deposit credits, with a rather sizable number below it, indicating the requested amount of credits to be deposited. Below that, listed the priority. Had he not already dropped his wine-glass, he would have after reading this. It read **Priority Alpha, Threat Level Omega**. A designation that he had, of course, planned for, but never even come close to ever needing. It's design was intended for a galactic-scale threat against all species, including humans.

Finally, at the bottom of the message, was two attached files. The first, titled "Normandy," he opened. There, on the screen, was a much larger version of the ship that he had pushed for the Alliance to build in conjunction with the Turians, with the designator SR-2. The second file, however, was titled 'To Me.' Quickly opening it, the cigarette, long forgotten, finally slipped from between his fingers, impacting onto the floor, smoldering. There, on the screen, was an image of himself, the artificial blue eyes just as vivid, the self-assured smirk just as prominent and sure as his own.

"Hello, Casey. It's me... Or should I say, _you..._"

* * *

><p>Nick let out a grunt as he lifted a crate, carrying it from its position next to the wall onto the small maintenance skiff. Liara spoke up, "Nick, you do know that I could use my biotics to lift the crates, don't you?"<p>

Nick just shrugged as he set the crate down, the skiff dipping slightly as the mass effect field worked to adjust itself to the new weight load on it, keeping it hovering above the ground. "Sure, I know you could. But I have older sisters; chivalry was something I was force-fed from a very young age."

Liara's head tilted to one side. "Chivalry? I believe I have heard that word before, but am unsure as to its meaning. Could you explain it to me?"

Nick stopped, and stood up, forgetting the next crate for a moment as he considered the question. "Well, chivalry is a Human term; basically, where a man will be polite to a woman, and without being asked, will do things for her, such as open a door, pick up and carry something for her... that sort of thing." With a shrug, Nick bent back down, and picked up the next crate. As he carried the next crate over, he failed to notice the slight blush coloring Liara's cheeks a darker hue of blue.

"T-that is an interesting concept. Is it widely practiced by humans?"

Nick let out a sigh, setting down the second crate. "I couldn't say; at least, not for anyone in this universe. In my own world, chivalry was a much less practiced courtesy, almost to the point of being rare. A large portion of men cared more about themselves, or what they wanted, rather than trying to make a woman happy."

Liara turned to him, her brow furrowed. "Then why do you practice it?"

Nick stopped again, before turning and sitting down on the next crate. "Well, like I said, I grew up having older sisters. They, for lack of a better term, 'trained' me to be chivalrous towards women."

Liara's face betrayed her confusion, "But doesn't that mean you were never given the choice for yourself?"

Nick shrugged, "You could look at it like that. I personally never really minded. What my sisters taught me made it easy for me to make girls laugh or smile, even when they were in bad moods, and that was something I truly enjoyed. Not that that really helped when I'd ask a girl out.." Nick petered off, falling silent as his mind wandered into the past. Before he realized it, Liara was sitting down next to him, her bright blue eyes searching into his.

"What do you mean?"

Nick bit his lower lip, looking away from Liara. "I-it's nothing, Liara. Just don't worry about it."

There was a very short moment where Nick began to think that Liara would get up and walk away, granting his wish. However, as he felt the light pressure of her fingertips against his chin, pulling his face back to look at her, looking back into her eyes, he knew he wouldn't be able to resist telling her. "Please, Nick." It took all of Nick's willpower not to get lost within her eyes, as he gathered his wits to tell her.

"Well, when I was younger, during school, I would occasionally ask a girl out on a date. Nothing serious, just to go out to a movie, maybe to dinner or something. Every single time, they would say no. Or other times, another guy would ask before I would work up the nerve to ask." Nick let out a breathy sigh, rubbing his temple with his fingers. "Needless to say, high school was a very lonely time for me." Nick laughed after a moment, "And look where that got me; off in another dimension, already knowing exactly what's supposed to happen, having saved the one Asari vital to the survival of the entire galaxy. I guess fate had its plans for me."

As Nick turned to look at Liara, a smile on his face, he saw a strange half-smile on her face, her eyes seemingly distant, as though her mind were somewhere else. "Yes... fate..."

* * *

><p>As the Grizzly came to a halt inside the small garagemaintenance building, Ian couldn't help but grimace, seeing a trio of security guards standing there. With a grunt, he stood up from the co-pilot's seat. "All right, boys and girls, we've got some security guards down there. Let's try _not _pissing them off? I'd rather not play a repeat of our little escape from Earth in the first place."

They all nodded, and Brendan gestured to Ian from the pilot's seat, a smirk on his face, "Ladies first." Ian rolled his eyes at him, stepping past him, but before he left the nose of the Grizzly, he turned around, and lightly smacked Brendan on the back of the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

Ian just laughed, "What do you think? Don't tell me your memory span is _that_ short." He continued to laugh as Brendan began to mutter under his breath, his face set in a scowl.

Art called up from the back, "Hey, you two coming?"

Ian nodded as he entered the back of the Grizzly, "Yeah, just had to smack some sense into our driver."

Art just shook his head, as the group all left the back of the Grizzly together, rounding the corner to come face to face with the three armed security guards. The woman in the middle took a step forward. "Welcome to the Nova Yekaterinburg spaceport. Before I can let you into the facility, I need to see your identification, and licenses for those weapons."

Ian felt a pit form in the bottom of his stomach. He quickly forced it down, and put on a smile. "Of course." He brought up his omni-tool, and stared at it for a moment, before pressing a few random buttons, not really knowing what he was doing. As he stared at his omni-tool, there was a slight flash of blue, before a set of identity 'cards' appeared over his omni-tool, and were sent wirelessly to the security guard's omni-tool. She began reading them, looking through them one by one, before shutting down her omni-tool, nodding.

"Everything seems to be in order; you may proceed. A word of caution, though; don't start any fights, and don't pull your weapons out anywhere on this station, unless there's a pirate attack."

Ian turned as Art spoke up, "You guys have trouble with pirates here? I thought this was an Alliance base."

The woman nodded, letting out a sigh as she relaxed her stance. "Yeah, we do. We may be an official Alliance charter colony, but that doesn't mean shit out here without the forces to back it up. Granted, the attacks are rare enough that it's not too big of an issue, but frequent enough that we allow people to carry their weapons with them. Now, if you need anything, one of the other security guards will be willing to help you; enjoy your stay." With that, the security detail turned and left, walking through one of the side doors.

As soon as the doors closed, Ian immediately spun around to the rest of the group, "Ok, what the hell was that?"

Before any of them could respond, however, Ian's omni-tool lit up, and began projecting EDI's avatar. "I had already created identities for all of you, but had yet to inform you. My apologies." With that, her avatar disappeared, leaving them to all stand there, somewhat shocked.

After a few moments, Joc cleared her throat. "So, are we going to go inside? Maybe see if we can't find someone to teach us all how to fight?"

Art nodded, "That's what we came here for, isn't it?"

With a sigh, Ian shrugged, and the four of them quickly strode into the compound. As they stepped into the facility, the airlock cycled, and they all breathed a sigh of relief as the heat from the outside was quickly replaced by the more temperately controlled air system within the facility.

Stepping inside, the first thing they all noticed was the dim lighting. Second to that, was the slightly off air; the taste and feel of which giving the impression of a back alleyway. Brendan coughed lightly, while Art cleared his throat, obviously trying his best not to start coughing. Ian glanced around, and his eyes were drawn to a somewhat better lit room than the rest of the immediate area, a thin veil of smoke wafting out from the wide open archway, with a single glance inwards proving it to be a bar.

Ian looked over his shoulder at the group, "Well, let's go find us a weapons trainer." With that, the group moved forward, entering the bar.

* * *

><p>Within the engineering room of the Santa Maria, a small whirring noise could be heard over the light thrumming of the element zero core, and beneath a layer of deck plating, a single light winked into existence, a small ring rotating around it, metallic flaps hinging around it.<p>

* * *

><p>AN: The End... just kidding. Hope you enjoyed this, and I'll see you in Chapter 7.


	7. Chapter 7 Out With A Bang

A/N: So here's yet another chapter. It's rather funny, once I sat down and started writing, it just kind of all came to me. So, lucky you, you get another chapter this week.

Herr Wozzeck: it's rather funny, with that whole intrigue thing; it's usually just little things here and there that I don't even really plan on, just kind of put in as an afterthought, yet somehow all fit into a nice bigger picture so very well, giving me a much deeper plot than I had ever originally planned on.

FuckingTypo: here you go; you get your boom boom this chapter.

Archerstar: yeah, I thoroughly enjoy running themes/gags. They make things so much more fun. Flirting? I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about...

Sarge1995: well... you never know...

ArchAngelGundam: don't worry about it; it happens on occasion.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 7

As the man in front of them stood up and walked away, Ian dropped his head onto the table, letting out a frustrated growl. He spoke up, his voice slightly muffled from having his face towards the floor, "That's two of the three we had planned on. So now we've only got the Turian left. Isn't this just great." He lifted his head slightly, only to drop it again, making a slightly softer 'thud' noise than the first time.

Art spoke up from his seat at the rather large booth along the wall, "Hey, relax, Ian; I'm sure this Turian will be more likely to accept a job."

Ian lifted his head to pass a scowl his way, "You're kidding, right? Most Turians don't even _like_ Humans!"

Brendan gave Ian's shoulder a nudge, "Hey, we'll never know if we don't at least try."

Ian threw his hands into the air, exasperated, "All right, fine, we'll ask him."

Joc spoke up for the first time in a while, holding her soda in one hand, a datapad in the other, "Actually, it's a she, not a he." The three guys all turned their heads towards her, wearing completely blank expressions. "What? That's what this profile thing says, the Turian is a she; her name's Kyriash Metarian."

The three continued to stare at Joc, making her feel rather uncomfortable, until finally Ian managed to find his voice, "A-a female Turian?" Joc nodded, a confused look on her face. "Joc, none of us have any idea what a female Turian looks like! The game only ever portrayed male Turians." The color started to drain from Joc's face as she looked back down to the datapad, a sheepish look on her face.

"Oh."

"Yeah," Ian affirmed as he began to massage his temples with his fingers. After a moment, Brendan spoke up.

"You know, there shouldn't be too many Turians here; this is a really small Alliance outpost."

Ian stared at him a moment, before giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder, "Brendan, you're smarter than you look."

Brendan smiled, "Thanks." After a moment, however, his smile disappeared. "Hey!"

Art and Joc laughed as Ian practically threw himself out of his seat to avoid getting hit by Brendan. After a few moments, they both calmed down, smiling. Art and Joc both stood up, and stepping up to the other two, Art spoke up, "So, what say we go find ourselves a Turian to hire?"

Ian held out his hand, gesturing forward, "After you."Art just shook his head as he started walking, the four of them moving further into the spaceport facility.

As they walked through the halls, Brendan happened to notice the various people looking at them somewhat strangely. Glancing down at his armor, and at everyone else's armor, he spoke up, "You know, guys, we're going to have to do something with our armor; the plain grey makes us stick out a bit."

Each of the four of them looked down, and they all nodded at the observation. Ian responded, "We can worry about customizing our armor once we're back at the ship. For now, let's just worry about finding Kyriash."

Just then, Ian felt cold metal press against the back of his head, a flanged voice sounding out behind him, "Maybe Kyriash doesn't want to be found. Who's looking?" The other three spun around, only to find themselves face to face with a Turian; she had a thinner body than a male Turian, with a much shorter fringe and more narrow face, but she appeared to have longer and sharper claws on her hands, her grey eyes blending in with the grey on her face, accented with a bright orange face-paint.

Ian gingerly took a step forward, slowly spinning around, "Someone looking for a weapons trainer, with credits and accommodation in the bargain. Though pointing a gun at your potential employer is a bad way to start the interview."

The Turian simply stared at Ian for a few moments, before lowering her pistol and gesturing for them to follow her. "Come with me; I have a room where we can discuss this in private." As Kyriash turned and began walking, Ian just shrugged to the others, and the four of them moved to follow the Turian.

* * *

><p>Nick let out a grunt as he tried to pull the floating skiff up the rather steep incline, as its internal power was enough to keep it floating, but not propel it up the hill. He had managed to get it most of the way to the entrance to the ruins, but looked down at Liara, a pleading look on his face. "Ok, I know *wheeze* I said I didn't mind helping... but *cough* I could <em>really<em> use some help here!"

Liara laughed at him, her face lit up in a bright and wide smile. "Alright, just give me a moment." After a few seconds, she managed to gain control of her laughter, and focused her attention onto her biotics, gently pushing the skiff up the hill with her mind. Nick followed alongside the skiff, making sure the crates didn't fall off. As soon as the skiff made it to the top of the hill, Nick breathed out a sigh of relief, and sat down, leaning against an outcropping of rock, brushing his sweating forehead with his arm.

"Thanks. Ya know, I probably should've been smart enough to put on my helmet before trying that. It's just a little hot out here." As if to accent his words, a nearby lava geyser burst, shooting molten magma out in a spurt. Nick just let out another sigh, sweat dripping down his face. "Ok, I stand corrected: it feels like hell out here."

After a moment, Nick reached down to his belt, and pulled off a metal water bottle, greedily taking a long drink from it. Doing so, he didn't notice Liara staring at him, observing his actions, taking note of the sweat running down his face. As Nick reattached the bottle to his armor's belt, he looked up at the Asari, and noticing she didn't appear to have any sweat on her face, couldn't help but ask what was on his mind.

"Liara, do Asari sweat?"

One of her eye-ridges lifted in curiosity, "No, actually. Asari, having originated from a sea-dwelling species, did not ever develop sweat glands like Humans."

Nick stared at her a moment, before nodding, his eyelids dropping slightly, "Lucky you. That means you'll never be stuck dealing with salty water dripping into your eyes, making them sting from the sensation." Noticing her concerned look, Nick gestured with his hand, "Don't worry about it. It's annoying, but nothing dangerous. All humans deal with it a lot."

Nick opened his mouth to say more, when his eyes narrowed, looking up into the skies. Liara turned, and saw a streak of light moving towards the colony. She wondered aloud, "What could that be?"

Before Liara knew what was happening, she felt Nick's arms wrap around her, and he pulled her down to the ground. She opened her mouth to question his actions, when the streak cleared itself from the atmosphere, and as the shape moved nearer to the space port, she could make out the shape of a ship; a ship that began firing large guns directly onto the space port. Liara felt Nick's arms still wrapped around her, as he began pulling her up off the ground. "We've got to get back to the ship, Liara! We can't stay out here!"

As he began dragging her, running, she called out, "B-but what about the equipment?"

Nick yelled back without turning around, "Which is more important, your equipment or your life?" Liara mentally cursed at herself for worrying about the equipment, rather than her own life, as the two of them ran back for the Santa Maria.

In a fraction of the time as it had taken to reach the top of the hill, the two of them made it to the bottom, only a hundred feet or so from the doors to the cargo bay of the ship. They ran across the wide open clearing between the hill and the ship, their focus solely on reaching the doors. As they made it approximately half way across the clearing, a thrumming sound began to grow louder, causing Liara to look up towards the space port, her heart nearly stopping at the sight; a pair of shuttles were making their way towards them, moving at rapidly high speeds.

* * *

><p>As warning klaxons began to blare throughout the facility, the entire group stopped, and Kyriash turned to the four humans, "That's the warning alarm for an incoming pirate attack!" Kyriash immediately began running a different direction, and the other four had no choice but to follow her.<p>

As they ran, Art managed to speak out between breaths, "You know, I'd like to go... somewhere for once where our lives... aren't in imminent danger. *wheeze* You know? Just once?" The Turian female stopped directly in front of a terminal, and as she manipulated the controls, a view from an external camera appeared, showing a pirate ship moving around the facility, firing off rounds of ammunition into the space port.

As they all watched, however, they noticed two shuttles depart from the ship, and move off away from the base. Joc was the first to speak, "Those things are heading for our ship!"

Ian blanched, his face turning pale, "Nick and Liara are still back there!"

Kyriash cursed under her breath, before speaking to the rest of the group, "These aren't pirates; they're slavers. It's their standard operating procedure; create a distraction, then hit a soft target, taking hardware, resources, and people that are away from the main base of operations."

Ian grabbed the Turian's shoulder, spinning her around, "We have to stop them!"

Kyriash wrenched his hand from her shoulder, her eyes blazing, "They're already goners! There will be easily over two dozen slavers aboard those shuttles! The best we can do is stay here and try to fight them off. If your friends are lucky, they'll die fighting."

Ian ripped his hand from the Turian's grasp, scowling at her, before turning to the other three. "We're going back to the Grizzly; they're not going to get turned into slaves." The other three nodded, as he turned back to Kyriash. "You want to stay here and hide while two innocent people get taken, or worse, be my fucking guest." With that, the group of four turned, and started running down the hallway for the hangar bay. Kyriash watched them go for a few moments, before grimacing to herself, and taking off after them.

As Ian passed through the threshold into the spacious hangar bay, Art spoke up from behind him, "What exactly are we going to do against a horde of slavers? We don't even know how to fight!"

Brendan answered, "Anything is better than just letting slavers take Nick and Liara, Art. Besides, it's a gun. You point and shoot, man, just point and shoot; not like it's rocket science!"

As they made it to the large vehicle, Joc spoke up, "There are slavers here? What kind of fucked up galaxy is this?"

No one bothered to answer the question as they all piled into the Grizzly. As Brendan clambered his way to the driver's seat, Ian reached out to pull the hatch closed. Before he could do so, however, a taloned hand grabbed his arm. sticking his head out the hatch, he smiled when he saw Kyriash standing there. "So, changed your mind?"

The Turian just grimaced, her mandibles twitching, "I couldn't let you four go off and get yourselves captured by slavers, just for wanting to help your friends."

Ian pulled himself inside, "Well, you're welcome to come with. Though this isn't exactly what I had in mind for the first lesson." He paused, before continuing, "And no, you're not getting paid extra for this." Kyriash just nodded, pulling herself into the body of the Grizzly as well, closing the hatch behind her. As soon as they all sat down, Brendan gunned the engine, rocketing the tank out of the hangar space, out into the hellish landscape of Therum.

Before they had even travelled more the space of a few seconds, Brendan yelled out, "Uh, guys... that ship doesn't seem to like the fact we're leaving!" Brendan wasn't able to say anything else, as the ground around the ship began to be pummeled by the ship's redirected weapons fire. "Someone take the damn guns!," Brendan yelled out as he maneuvered the Grizzly left and right, trying to avoid the weapons fire.

Kyriash got up from her seat, and attempted to make her way to the gunner's seat. Unfortunately for the Turian, Brendan chose that moment to jerk the Grizzly to the left, avoiding both a boulder and a missile at the same time. Kyriash was thrown off her feet, and her back impacted directly against Ian's torso with a sickening cracking noise, eliciting a scream from Ian, followed by him muttering, "Bollocks, not again." Kyriash winced at the sound, and this time began clambering for the gunner's seat from the floor, on her hands and knees to avoid being flung about again.

As she crawled up into the seat, she swung the turret around, and tilted the barrel upwards into the sky at the slavers ship. Kyriash jammed down the triggers, blasting both a high explosive shell and a stream of metal slivers at hyper accelerated rates at the ship. Despite the strength of the weapons of the Grizzly tank, they weren't near strong enough to penetrate the kinetic barriers of the slaver's ship, proving to be more of an annoyance than anything, as the ship continued to fire its own shells at the ground vehicle.

Brendan called out after a few moments of this punishment, "Guys, I don't think our kinetic barriers are gonna last much longer!" Kyriash let out a string of Turian swearing, most of it untranslatable. A second later, a large explosion rocked the interior of the tank, causing Joc to let out a scream. Brendan yelled out again, his voice laced with panic, "Barriers are gone!"

Kyriash closed her eyes, saying a prayer to the spirits, when a loud explosion caught her attention, forcing her eyes wide open.

* * *

><p>As Nick saw the shuttles, he yelled, "Keep running, Liara! We have to make it to the ship!"<p>

Liara could feel the burning sensation in her legs, and struggled to continue running, but a glance at the fast approaching shuttles sent a burst of adrenaline through her system, keeping her running just a little longer. The two of them reached the large cargo bay doors a few moments later, running inside. As Liara doubled over, panting heavily, Nick slammed his fist down onto the console nearby, causing the cargo doors to slide closed. Nick took up a position by the far end of the door, holding his assault rifle. Liara forced herself to walk closer to where he was, looking out the rapidly shrinking opening, as the two shuttles landed, their doors already open.

As men began pouring out of the two shuttles, Nick opened fire, forcing the men to jump back behind their shuttles, using them as cover, giving the cargo bay doors enough time to snap shut with a 'clank.' Without waiting, Nick turned, and began running through the ship again. Liara called out to him, trying to keep up with him, "Nick, where are you going?"

He turned his head, still running, "To the airlock; it's the most vulnerable spot on the ship to be boarded!"

Liara slowed momentarily, before resuming her running, "How could you possibly know that?"

This time, Nick didn't even turn his head around, "Because that's _always_ where ships get boarded! It's the only place on the hull that isn't covered with six inches of hull plating! Besides, the cargo bay doors don't have an external interface for them to hack; the airlock does!"

Nick ran through the hallway in the back of the ship, coming to a halt at the corner right before the airlock, still holding his assault rifle, and waited, leaning against the wall. Liara moved up next to him, leaning partly against the wall, and partly against Nick's back, their armor rubbing against each other.

"Nick, what are we going to do?"

The Human shrugged, "Oh, I don't know; I figured shooting the other guys might be a good plan." Liara gave him a rather annoyed look, but Nick was watching the door, too preoccupied to notice her annoyance at his sarcasm. Before she could reply, however, a slight thud was heard, and Nick gripped the stock of his gun a little tighter. "They've breached he first door. It'll only be a matter of time before they get the second door open."

Liara reached down and pulled the pistol off of her thigh, a nervous pinch settling in her gut. She could hear the voices of the pirates on the other side, though not well enough to pick out what they were saying. After a few moments, however, the point became moot as the doors slid open, showing one pirate standing there with his omni-tool open, a look of surprise showing in his four eyes at the sight of guns being pointed at him. That look was the last recognizable thing on his face as Nick immediately opened fire, the rounds impacting against his kinetic barriers, then bursting through them, turning the Batarian's head into a pulpy mass.

As his body fell, the other pirates opened fire, forcing Nick to pull away from the door frame, wincing. After a moment, Nick reached down, and pulled a grenade from his belt. Liara looked down at the small device, and her brow furrowed at the device, realizing that the grenade seemed to be a version from Nick's Earth. "What good will that thing do?"

Nick just smirked at her, before pulling the pin, and tossing the explosive around the corner into the airlock. The gunfire ceased momentarily, and the pirates didn't seem to know what they were staring at, until one voice, notably Human, let out a yell of panic. Before he was able to say anything coherent, however, the grenade detonated, causing Liara to gasp in shock at the volume and sudden pressure wave caused by the explosive. Nick waited a single heartbeat after the detonation, and then spun around, pointing his gun back towards the airlock.

Nick charged into the small space, only to find that most of the pirates were already dead, leaving only a few wounded. Nick moved forward, and looked at the bodies, and he began to turn extremely pale, his hands shaking, the rifle in his hands rattling against his armor. He began to lose his balance, but Liara moved up next to him, putting a supporting hand against his back. A feminine laughter caught their attention, and both Liara and Nick turned towards the sound, only to see an Asari lying on the ground, clutching her gut.

"Isn't that just cute? Made your first kills, did you? I've seen that look enough times to know what it means." She laughed again, coughing up a small amount of blood. "Careful now, don't want to lose your lunch."

Nick, thankful for something to focus on other than having killed someone, stepped forward, kneeling down near the woman, "What's your name?"

The Asari gave Nick an incredulous look, "The hell do you care? I just tried to take your ship from you and enslave you!"

Nick nodded, "Yeah... So? Maybe I don't want to kill you."

The Asari just shook her head, "Weak, pathetic. Either kill me, or let me crawl out of here in peace."

Nick shook his head, gripping his gun a little tighter, "I'm just asking for your name."

The woman just rolled her eyes, coughing again, "Alright, _fine_; my name's Dahlia."

Nick's brow furrowed for a moment, as he wracked his brain, trying to figure out why the name sounded familiar. After a few moments, his eyes grew wide, and he gaped at the Asari. "Dahlia Dantius?"

Dahlia quirked an eye-ridge, looking up at him, "Yeah? How do you know that?"

Nick then began to smile, surprising Dahlia, "Simply put, because I know that your sister Nassana is trying to find someone to hunt you down and kill you." Dahlia's jaw dropped, her eyes wide, and a new emotion entered into her eyes; fear. Nick lowered his gun towards the floor, "Relax, I'm not going to kill you."

Dahlia was speechless for a solid fifteen seconds. "W-what? Why?"

Nick shrugged, "I've heard some rumors that your sister has had a few of her opponents killed in cold blood. The fact that she's willing to arrange to have her own sister killed off tells quite a bit of her mental instability."

Dahlia let out a snort, "No kidding." A slight pause, "So what _are_ you going to do to me?"

Nick looked down at her for a few moments, before kneeling down, "Well, that depends on you, really." At the Asari's confused look, Nick elaborated, "If I let you go, will you just go back to slaving? Or will you try to do something more with your life?"

Dahlia's face took on a scowl, "What does it matter to you?"

"Well, if you're just going to go right back to enslaving people, I'll just keep you here until I can turn you in to Alliance authorities. If you'll actually fix your life and do something worthwhile, then I'll let you go."

Dahlia glared at him, her eyes narrowing, "What kind of choice is that? Even if I did take up your offer, I still have a squad standing outside waiting and prepped to invade this ship if we don't report back!"

Before Nick could reply, a whirring noise could be heard in the ship, followed by the ship's core powering up, and an extremely loud explosion.

* * *

><p>As Kyriash looked through the gun-mounted camera, her jaw dropped, mandibles falling limp to either side of her mouth, as some kind of heavy weaponry began impacting against the side of the slaver ship, coming from the direction of the cargo ship. She panned the gun turret over towards the cargo ship, only for her eyes to widen even further; there, sticking out of the top of the kowloon class freighter, off to one side, was a GARDIAN turret, firing away at the ship.<p>

Everyone inside the Grizzly let out a cheer as the slaver ship pulled away from them, it's kinetic barriers failing under the barrage. The ship managed to gain some altitude, but as Kyriash watched, the GARDIAN rounds began to impact against the engines, causing them to smoke, sputter, and finally die, the ship stopping its ascent into the sky, instead plummeting towards the ground.

Kyriash would have watched its final impact, had she not heard Brendan's call, "We've got slavers on the ground outside the ship!"

The Turian swung the turret around, zeroing in on the slavers running around. Many of them were already running, but _away_ from their shuttles. Kyriash smirked, knowing that with the cargo ship's GARDIAN array still operational, they truly had nowhere to go. Her smirk disappeared, however, as another group of them were running towards the airlock of the cargo ship, already appearing as though it had been opened once, by force. So she yelled out, "It looks like they've already been boarded once, and there's a second group moving to enter the ship!"

Brendan called back, "Take 'em out before they can make it inside!"

Kyriash didn't even bother to respond, letting the guns do the talking for her. A single tank shell directly in front of the group dissuaded any survivors from continuing the perilous journey across the open terrain into the cargo ship. With that, the rest of the slavers dispersed, and began running into the hill. Kyriash simply began picking them off one by one, starting with the ones moving towards the Prothean ruins.

A few minutes and a few dozen high explosive rounds later, Brendan pulled the Grizzly tank up next to the cargo ship, disengaging its power supply. As soon as the vehicle was put in park, everyone began unstrapping themselves, grabbing their guns and practically jumping out of the tank. Ian, however, simply stayed put, a hand on his chest. As Kyriash untangled herself from the turret, she glanced down at him, her head dipping slightly, "I am sorry for hurting you."

Ian forced out a smile, weakly waving her off, "Hey, n-no big deal. Not like you were trying to break me in half. Though it is nice to have women throwing themselves at me for a change. Heh- ugh, ouch; note to self: no laughing." Kyriash couldn't help but chuckle at Ian's statement, giving him a pat on the knee as she moved out to join the others heading into the cargo ship.

* * *

><p>Nick couldn't help but laugh as he looked out the partially open airlock door, watching the slaver ship being driven away. He turned and looked down at Dahlia, "Well, it looks like you won't have to worry about the ship. It looks like our cavalry is on the way, so those slavers outside shouldn't be a problem, either. If all four of them are coming in the Grizzly, then they'll make short work of those pirates still on the ground."<p>

Dahlia nodded, closing her eyes as she laid her head back, resting it against the bulkhead. After a moment, she spoke up, "I guess I underestimated you; all of you. Both on and off the battlefield." She laughed slightly, wincing at her injury, "I never thought I'd be handed a second chance, either. Especially not after being caught like this."

Nick just shrugged, "Well, Dahlia, everyone makes mistakes; some are worse than others. And everyone deserves a second chance. The real question is, what are you going to do with it?"

Dahlia nodded, her face taking on a weary, but happy, smile. Nick stood up, turning to look towards Liara, a smile on his face. His smile, however, immediately evaporated as he saw a surviving slaver on the floor, holding up a shotgun, pointing it towards Liara. "_NO!_" Nick immediately threw himself towards Liara, his body pushing hers out of the way, just as the slaver pulled the trigger of the shotgun. Nick saw his kinetic barriers flash, then disappear, followed by what felt like searing hot daggers plunging themselves into his stomach and chest.

As his body hit the floor, Nick glanced down, only to see at least half a dozen points where his armor was breached, blood practically pouring from the wounds onto the floor. His vision began to fade, becoming blurry around the edges, as he felt his body growing cold. He noted his head being lifted, and looking directly into a pair of bright blue eyes. His consciousness was barely able to recognize how beautiful the eyes were, before his mind slipped away, his vision turning dark.

* * *

><p>Hudson, or the illusive man as he was known as to the rest of the galaxy, deactivated the video, having watched it a second and third time through. A new cigarette rested between his lips, burning brightly. He looked down at the datapad he had been working on while continuing to watch the video over again, and he couldn't help but shake his head at the strangeness of the entire situation. He had already directed the requested amount of money to be deposited to the account, as the message had stated, and he was already in the process of planning the construction of the ship.<p>

The datapad in his hands, however, was of his own volition. He reread his changes of the document in question, making sure that there were no errors. Of all the documents he had ever written and edited in his life, this one, he knew, was the most important of all, even more important than its predecessor. Finishing, he nodded to himself, satisfied. He brought up his omni-tool, and with the press of a button, the document was sent. He took another drag of his cigarette, looking out on the star, and spoke aloud to himself, "What have I gotten myself in to?"

* * *

><p>Across all of Citadel space, extranet news broadcasts were updated with a new report; one such report went as follows.<p>

"This is Citadel news net; I'm Emily Wong. Earlier today, the terrorist organization known only as Cerberus, a former Systems Alliance organization, released a new Manifesto today. This document is a far-cry from the original, stating that humanity must stand strong against all threats to its survival, _with the aid_ of any and all aliens willing to stand against 'The Reapers.' " The news reporter used air-quotes in describing the term Reapers. "What these supposed Reapers are is purely conjecture at this point; before now, no mention of them has ever been heard of neither the Systems Alliance nor the Citadel Council would make any statements around this issued document. In other news..."

* * *

><p>AN: What going to happen to Nick? What impact will this new Manifesto have with the galaxy and Cerberus? Find out in the next episode of Into the Fire v2!


	8. Chapter 8 Truth And Reconciliation

A/N: so, I don't know if any of you noticed, but chapters 1 thru 7 totaled 40,000 words. Exactly 40,000 words. I couldn't have done that again if I had tried.

Also, a big freaking huge shout-out to all of my reviewers, and my readers; over one hundred reviews by chapter 7. Truly, I am humbled that so many people find my story worth reading, and even commenting on. Thank you so much.

M-Angel 05: You'll just have to wait and see...

FuckingTypo: Eh, that's a relatively small issue. Though if my understanding is correct, the kinetic barriers will hold against the lasers like the GARDIAN arrays, but only for a few shots, nowhere near as long as they would against kinetic weaponry.

Herr Wozzeck: I enjoy the ignorance, but it won't keep coming back. At least, not after the first few chapters of her still learning. Once she figures things out, that'll probably stop. And sorry, but I've learned from all my reading just how effective cliff hangars are. It brings readers back.

Dreaded-DeathX: yes, I certainly do enjoy your reviews. I think they're the longest reviews I get from anyone. With Shepard, who knows what'll happen? I enjoy using minor and non-existent characters, as it brings in some new depth to my story, and more characters to interweave into the plot. As for Halo: Survival... well, unfortunately, all of my focus is quite literally on this story. That's why every other one of my stories has "On hold" in their description. So I likely won't get back to H: S. until I hit a severe case of writer's block. My apologies; but this story is just so much more fun to write.

Archerstar: I seriously almost fell off my chair laughing when I read your review. Heh, "Bow chicka ow, ow."

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 8

Liara smiled as she watched Nick stand up, turning to her with a smile on his face. Her smile disappeared as a look of utter panic crossed his face, and he yelled out, "_NO!,"_ before throwing himself at her, tackling her. As she felt him collide with her, she heard a gunshot, the sound echoing extremely loud inside the small airlock. Nick fell off to the side, leaving Liara to stumble slightly, her eyes growing wide at the sight of Nick hitting the ground. As soon as she saw the blood beginning to pour out from Nick's torso, her eyes hardened, and her gaze shifted to the severely injured slaver, the Turian, missing one of his mandibles, his eyes wide as he stared at her, the shotgun still smoking in his hands.

In a single moment, Liara's rage boiled over, and her biotics flared across her entire body, bathing the whole airlock in an eerie blue light. The Turian barely had time to gasp before Liara rushed towards him, all of her biotic energy coiling around her wrist, swinging down towards his head. With a sickening crunching noise, Liara brought her biotically strengthened hand down onto his head, causing the Turian's skull to literally shatter into tiny pieces, blood and brain matter flecking across the floor.

Ignoring the look of shock on Dahlia's face, Liara immediately rushed back to Nick's side, her eyes wide with fear. "Nick! Nick, can you hear me? _Nick!_" Liara was all but screaming as Nick's eyes rolled back into his head, his body going limp. For a split second, Liara's mind went blank, not knowing what to do; but before she could try to decide, a hand was placed on her shoulder. Her head spun around, only for her eyes to go wide, staring into a single white light. A glance up and down revealed it to be the mechanical assistant from Earth, who had helped implant Nick with the amp.

After a tense moment, the machine spoke, "This unit can help him." Liara stared deep into the robot's eye, trying to discern some kind of motive, but eventually just nodded, moving slightly away from Nick's body, just enough to allow the machine to bend down. Almost immediately, it brought up its omni-tool, materializing a medigel packet, and began spreading the goop onto Nick's wounds, stanching the bleeding almost immediately. It then reached down and picked him up. As it stood up, holding Nick in its arms, footsteps could be heard approaching, causing Liara to look up. Just as she did so, Art and Brendan entered the doorway, their guns at the ready. Both of them stopped when they saw Liara and the robot holding Nick, their jaws hanging.

Art managed to recover first, "L-Legion? What the hell- you know what, I don't want to know. I'm just going to accept the fact that you're here, and be done with it." Art then turned towards the Asari, "Liara, what happened to Nick?"

Liara opened her mouth to respond, but stopped as she saw Legion turn and walk into the cargo ship. She furrowed her brow in annoyance, her gut twisting in apprehension and worry, panic threatening to bubble over inside of her. She waved Art and Brendan forward, turning to follow Legion herself. As soon as Art caught up, she explained, "Nick and I managed to hold off the assault force, and convinced the single surviving Asari in the airlock to correct the error of her ways, and to improve her lifestyle to something less... criminal." Liara paused, before continuing, "Speaking of which, you might want to go back and make sure she is not severely injured. Anyways, Nick was shot by another surviving slaver, who I appropriately dealt with." Liara let out a sigh, shaking her head slightly. "I will go ensure that Nick will be ok."

With that, Liara picked up her pace, leaving Art and Brendan to stand there in confusion. Brendan glanced over to Art, who simply shrugged, turning and walking back into the airlock.

* * *

><p>Kyriash slowly stepped into the airlock, her gun resting loosely in her hands, her pointer talon on her left hand clicking repeatedly against the surface of the assault rifle. As she stepped inside, and her eyes adjusted to the darker light within the ship, she saw Art and Brendan step back from around the corner, confused looks on their faces as they searched around the airlock. Kyriash tilted her head slightly, her mandibles flexing. "Are you two looking for something?"<p>

Art nodded, "Yeah; one of our friends, Liara, said there was an Asari in here still alive; she also said that Nick was able to convince this Asari to change her ways and get out of the whole 'life of crime' business."

Brendan looked at the Turian, ending his search, "Did you see someone go out the airlock?"

Kyriash shook her head, somewhat puzzled, "No, I didn't see anyone at all."

The three of them shared an odd stare, each of them confused. Finally, Brendan just shrugged, putting his gun away. "Oh well. She's gone, and we've got more to worry about with Nick right now than some disappearing Asari."

Kyriash furrowed her brow-plates, "What do you mean? Who's Nick, and why should we be worried about him?"

Art spoke up, glancing towards the floor and rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, "Nick was one of the two that we left here at the ship; he and Liara, actually."

Kyriash interrupted him, "Wait, Liara... T'soni? The archaeologist?"

Art nodded, "Yeah, the very same. Anyways, we all left the two of them here, as we've all noticed that they seem to be getting rather... fond of each other, and we all just wanted to, well, _encourage_ them. Then the slavers showed up and attacked. They held them off, but while talking to our mysteriously vanishing Asari, Nick was shot by another slaver."

Kyriash's heart-rate spiked, and she looked around, "Where is he, then? Shouldn't we take him to the colony for medical attention?"

Art and Brendan shared a look, neither one of them looking as though they really wanted to be the one to talk. Finally, Art let out a sigh, "We've already got it under control; one of our... 'friends' aboard took him into the ship to look him over and fix him up."

The Turian narrowed her eyes, immediately suspicious as to what the two humans in front of her were hiding. "What sort of 'friend' are we talking about?" Seeing their continued reluctance, she pressed further, "You expect me to work with all of you, to train you? I can't do that if you aren't honest with me up front. If there's something illegal going on here, either I need to know about it and it needs to stop, or I'm leaving."

After an awkward moment of silence, Kyriash heard someone clear their throat behind her, and spinning around, she found herself face to face with Ian, standing there, clutching his chest. He glanced at Kyriash, then at Art and Brendan. Finally, he spoke, directing his question towards the two humans, "Good to see we're all getting along _so well. _What's going on?"

Art sighed, before speaking, "Nick got shot by a slaver. Liara and Legion are trying to help him, and Kyriash is demanding to know what's really going on."

Ian let out a sigh, massaging his eyes with his finger tips, before looking the female Turian in the eye. "There's a lot we have to talk about, Kyriash."

* * *

><p>Liara watched Legion work on Nick, quickly operating on him with the speed and precision only a machine could achieve. The upper section of his armor and underlay suit had been removed, leaving Nick's entire upper torso bare, the sight only marred in Liara's mind by the wounds and the blood still smeared on his chest, though thankfully no fresh blood had seeped out from the wounds since Legion had started its work. Liara wasn't entirely sure what to think of the machine. She didn't know what exactly it was, but she did know that it was working feverishly to save Nick's life, which for her was enough for her to trust it; for the moment, at least.<p>

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Legion took a step back, wiping the blood off of its hands with a towel, and turned towards Liara. "His injuries, though seemingly severe, were mostly superficial; the greatest risk he stood was from blood loss." Seeing the confusion on Liara's face, the machine elaborated, "The bullets that penetrated his hardsuit missed his vital organs. He was in no great danger of termination from the wounds themselves; merely from loss of blood. He is fortunate his body went into standby when it did; it slowed the flow of blood through his body, increasing available time to assist before his functions were terminated."

Liara breathed a sigh of relief, her face taking on a weary smile. "Thank you, Legion."

The machine simply bowed its head slightly, before turning around, working on cleaning up the mess created from the quick surgery. Liara moved to stand next to Nick's unconscious form, when the door to the small room slid open. Liara turned, only to see Art, Brendan and Joc all step into the room. Art spoke up, "So, is he doing ok?"

Liara nodded, the smile still present on her face, "Yes; according to it," she gestured towards Legion, "the wound was superficial, and nothing vital was damaged. He was extremely lucky."

The three humans all smiled, and Art replied, "That's good to hear. Oh, by the way, 'it' has a name; it's called Legion."

The robot turned around, facing Liara, and addressed her, "We are Legion; we are a terminal of Geth." Legion turned and continued working, oblivious to the look of shock crossing Liara's face.

"G-Geth?" Liara almost turned to run right then, when the sound of laughter made her mind grind to a halt in confusion. She turned her head, only to see Art and Brendan laughing at her. "What is so funny?"

Brendan managed to recover first, "T-the fact that you didn't know that Legion was a Geth this whole time!"

Art nodded, "It's really not that big of a deal, Liara. He's the same Geth from our old reality, the one who helped the Commander Shepard from that other reality. Granted, none of us knew he was here, but it's a good thing he is here; I know that _I_ don't know anything about surgically removing bullets from a person's torso."

Liara turned, warily watching the Geth, knowing the various rumors that had been associated with the Quarian creations her whole life. As she considered it, however, she realized that she should not be so distrusting of the machine; after all, she had already accepted both the presence and the aid of the AI referred to as EDI, and it hadn't tried to kill them all. With a sigh, she nodded, "Very well; I will give you the benefit of the doubt, Legion. I apologize for my initial apprehension."

Legion paused, then turned towards her, "It is understandable; many organics have a difficult time moving beyond their initial fear of us, though we are unable to achieve consensus as to the cause of such emotions." The machine paused again, before continuing, "The concept of emotions baffle us." With that, Legion put away the surgical tools, and quickly left the room, moving off presumably towards the engineering section of the cargo ship.

As soon as the machine was gone, Liara looked down at Nick's prone body, his torso covered in gauss wrapping, only three small pinpricks of blood having seeped through the bandages. Staring down at him, she watched as his chest would slowly rise and fall, his breathing quite calm and slow, despite the trauma he had just endured. After a moment, Art cleared his throat behind her, "If you'd like, we'll just leave you two alone; we'll come back later once Nick's awake."

Liara nodded, "Thank you." With that, she turned back to Nick, and sat down next to his bed. She barely registered the sound of the door closing behind her as she watched Nick sleep, her mind oddly blank, simply content to just watch his chest rise and fall.

* * *

><p>Art stepped out of the small med-bay, walking forward towards the front of the ship, with Brendan and Joc in tow. He glanced around, only to do a double take, seeing that the Grizzly was now inside the cargo ship. He muttered aloud, "How'd that get in here?"<p>

A moment later, a holographic terminal along the wall next to him lit up, projecting EDI's avatar, "I took control of the vehicle, and moved it inside of the cargo ship while everyone else was preoccupied with what has been happening. It was a function that Hudson deemed important for me to have should circumstances require it." With that, the AI's avatar disappeared, leaving the three of them to stand there, staring at the deactivated holo-projector.

With a shake of his head, Art continued on into the ship, moving into the front, coming up to the commons room of the ship. The door slid open as he approached, making him jump slightly, before chuckling to himself, muttering, "Feels like star trek or something."

Brendan responded from behind him, "You can say that again."

As the three of them stepped into the room, they saw Ian talking with Kyriash at the mess table, Kyriash's body appearing quite tense. Art turned around to the other two, his voice low, "I'm not sure how she's going to take knowing the truth about all of us, so just be on your toes, ready for anything. The last thing we need is to not be paying attention and to have her freak out on all of us, trying to kill us all." The other two nodded, so they continued into the room, walking up to Ian and Kyriash.

As they neared, Kyriash responded to Ian, her voice quite loud. "I don't believe it! I've... that is the most fanatically unrealistic tale of fantasy that I have ever-"

Ian cut her off, "It's not a story; it's the truth."

The Turian scoffed at him, standing, "It's not possible. It just isn't remotely _possible!_"

Ian stood as well, staring Kyriash directly in the eye, "Oh? Tell me which of what I just told you couldn't be true?"

She held up one talon, "First, travelling between dimensions? It's an impossibility that goes against the laws of physics, in every single possible way." A second talon went up, "An alternate dimension where you just happen to know what's going to happen here in this reality? Even more implausible than just travelling between dimensions!" She put up a third talon, "Some kind of doomsday machines known as Reapers, that come every fifty thousand years to harvest all life in the galaxy? That goes even further than some of the most outlandish science fiction vids I've ever seen!"

Ian simply raised an eyebrow, "All the more reason to believe us, then." Kyriash just stared at the human in disbelief. "Let me put it this way," he continued, "Think back to what I just told you. If I was going to lie to you, why would I think of something so implausible?"

"I don't know how your mind works!" the Turian retorted. "This is stupid, Ian! If you can't tell me the truth, don't expect me to stay here!"

"Like it or not, this is the truth," Ian replied, rolling his eyes slightly, a small growl from Kyriash suggesting she didn't appreciate the gesture. "I'm not expecting you to take this in your stride and just go with it, but you asked for the whole story, and I'm giving it to you. You don't need to bite my head off, Kyri."

Her mandibles suddenly came together with a loud click. "What did you just call me?"

"Kyri."

"Don't."

"Why not? Kyriash is kind of a mouthful, this just works bett-"

"Don't."

Ian just grinned slightly. "Whatever. Look, you've only got three concerns about this whole thing, which I admit are perfectly valid, but we can prove to be true. In time, anyway. Anything else you want to shout at me about?"

The Turian's eyes took on a dangerous glint, "Yes, actually, there is more. There's the fact that you supposedly have not only an AI on board, but a Geth! Do you have any idea how many laws you've broken on just those two counts?"

Just then, EDI's avatar materialized along the wall nearest the commons table, "Approximately twenty three laws; twenty six if you include sub-clauses dealing with illegal technological development not directly related to the development of an artificial intelligence." Kyriash just stared at the AI as though she were staring at someone back from the dead; her eyes wide, jaw open, mandibles spread wide open, limp, with her arms hanging down by her sides.

"Gotta love AI," Ian laughed. "And they say Turians are expressionless sometimes."

Art decided to speak up and add his own input, "If you really want to know, that Geth just finished surgery on Nick, probably saving his life. I could even call him in so you can take a good look at him, if you'd like."

Brendan interjected before Art could say anything else, "That is, so long as you don't pull out your guns and shoot him."

Kyriash managed to find her voice again, "Not a chance in hell! I don't want a Geth anywhere near me!," she spat with as much venom as she could muster. After a few tense moments, Kyriash let out a sigh, and rubbed her face with one of her hands. "Look, this... this is a lot to throw at me all at once, assuming I even believe half of what you've told me."

"We didn't expect you to believe any, so it's a start," Brendan shrugged. "It's a friendly geth, anyway."

"There are friendly geth?"

"They're in the minority, but yeah, they exist," Ian said. "You generally don't see them a lot, because they're not trying to murder you, which is nice. Anyway, Kyri," he continued, ignoring the growl emitting from Kyriash's throat, "You should count yourself lucky you're still getting a job offer. You messed up my chest quite a bit."

The female Turian's mandibles flared out. "I can mess up your pretty face too, if you don't stop with that name!"

That just made Ian grin even wider. "Aww, you think I'm pretty?"

"Look, if it's any consolation," Joc said, stepping forward to intervene before things got any further out of hand, "I have no idea what's really going on around here either. These three know all about this universe, me... Well, I'm not as prepared. We're just trying to survive here, Kyriash, no matter how crazy these circumstances are. We're going to need a teacher, and you already helped with Nick and Liara. We can trust you. And Ian wasn't lying earlier about payment and accommodation."

"At the end of the day, a job's a job, right?" Art asked rhetorically, giving her a little smile. Kyriash looked at all the humans around the room, making eye contact with each and every one, expression giving nothing away... then sighed and looked down at the floor.

"This is crazy. Your story, what you've told me, I... I mean, I don't know why you'd make up something this crazy if you were trying to convince me." She sighed again, mandibles settling flat against her face. "I'm just going to take a few hours and think about things, before I come to any decision. All right?"

Ian nodded, wincing at the motion going through his chest, "Yeah, that'll be fine." Taking a shaky breath, Ian stepped away from the table, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if we have anything to take care of broken ribs. Nick gets the robot medic for his injuries, I'll probably just end up with a bloody band-aid or something like that..." With that, Ian headed out the door, muttering away to himself about the unfair spread of medical treatment.

* * *

><p>Nick let out a groan as consciousness came back to him, albeit slowly. His entire chest and stomach felt as though they were on fire. With a groan, he slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the bright light. Before he could do anything about it, however, something moved between his eyes and the light. Willing his eyes to come into focus, Nick found himself staring, once again, directly into Liara's bright blue eyes. Nick couldn't help but grin slightly.<p>

"You know," he managed to groan out, "Almost dying over and over kind of sucks, but I might just keep doing it if I continue to wake up to such a wonderful view." Even in his pained state, Nick could clearly see the affect his statement had on Liara, her eyes shifting away to look at a nearby wall, suddenly extremely fascinating to the Asari, her face turning an extremely deep shade of blue.

"I-I just wanted to be sure that you were going to be all right. You took that shot for me, without any regard f-for your own safety. I-" Nick reached up and put his hand on her arm, causing her to fall silent almost immediately.

"Liara, I did it because I wanted to. I couldn't just let you get shot, not when I could do something about it." After a moment, Nick smirked, "Besides, if you went and got yourself killed, then who would I have to scrape me off the floor, to make sure I get out alive, when I do something incredibly stupid?" Nick hadn't thought it possible, but Liara's face took on an even deeper shade of blue, almost turning purple.

Before anything else could be said, the door to the small med-bay opened up, and as Nick and Liara turned their heads to look, they saw Ian limp in. Nick lifted his head slightly, not wanting to aggravate his chest wound, "Ian, what the hell happened to you?"

Ian attempted to shrug, only to wince in pain. "Oh, not too much; just a few hundred pounds of armored Turian being flung at my way thanks to someone else's bad driving."

A familiar voice called out from behind Ian, "Hey! It's not my fault we were getting shot at! Sure, next time I _won't_ dodge the incoming gunfire, just so you don't get someone thrown into you; that way we all die!" Nick couldn't help but laugh slightly, wincing at the pain caused by it, as Brendan walked into the room, a smirk on his own face. "So Nick, decided you didn't have enough lead in your diet?"

Nick, still smiling, lifted one hand, his middle finger extended, causing Brendan to start laughing harder. Art walked in behind him, "Come on, now, Nick. That's not very nice."

Nick shrugged, "I can't exactly hit him from here, now can I?" During all of this, Liara just watched the group, her features showing her confusion. After a moment, Nick put his hand back on Liara's forearm, getting her attention. "Hey, don't worry; we're just making jokes at one another. We aren't actually insulting each other. Well, at least not Ian, anyways."

Brendan scowled at Nick, "Hey!" Everyone else, however, started laughing, causing Brendan to start muttering to himself under his breath.

As everyone continued to banter and joke around, Nick found that he didn't really want to move his hand from Liara's forearm. But, knowing that everyone was there in the room, he slowly removed his hand, laying it back down at his side. With the way Nick was lying down, however, he didn't see the brief flicker of disappointment cross Liara's features. Art, however, caught the subtle change in both of them.

Art glanced up towards the ceiling, "Hey EDI; is Nick stable enough to move?"

Her avatar appeared next to the door of the med-bay. "Affirmative. Though I would recommend he does not leave the Santa Maria for at least three days, and limits himself to only a few minutes of walking for today."

Art nodded, "Thank you EDI."

"Logging you out."

Art turned towards the Asari. "Hey Liara, how about you help me carry Nick to his bed? That way he doesn't have to listen to Ian whine and complain when he gets that band-aid for his broken ribs."

"I heard that," Ian called out, before muttering, "Ass."

Liara began turning a darker shade of blue, "I do not know if-"

Art stood up, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture, "Don't worry about it; EDI said he's cleared to move. Besides, it'd be better for him if he could rest on his own bed, rather than a medical table." Art then looked Nick directly in the eye, "And you could always keep him company, Liara; at least for a little while." At first, Nick gave Art a confused look, to which Art simply raised an eyebrow, a twinkle visible in his eyes. Nick narrowed his eyes at Art, catching on to what he was trying to do.

Liara began stuttering, "I-I do not know if that would b-be such a good idea..."

Nick let out a light sigh, before a resigned look crossed his face. "I wouldn't mind having a little company for a while. If that wouldn't bother you, Liara."

Liara's blush became much more pronounced, such that everyone in the room could easily see it. "Oh... ok. I-if you would prefer to have some company." With that, Art stepped over to Nick, and with Liara's help, hoisted him onto his feet, so the three shuffled through the med-bay door, heading for the barracks. They had to walk sideways into the barracks, but once inside, were able to lower Nick down to his bunk.

As soon as they had done so, Art waved to the two of them over his shoulder, walking out the door. "I'll come wake you up for dinner, Nick. Sleep tight." And with that, Liara and Nick were alone in the barracks.

Nick let out a sigh. "Liara, I think we've been rooked again."

Liara's brow-ridge furrowed in thought for a few moments, before responding, "That means that we've been tricked again, doesn't it?"

Nick gave the Asari a beaming smile, "Yes! That is exactly right!" Liara's smile grew even wider than Nick's, were it even possible. After a few moments, Nick let out a huge yawn, leaning back into the soft mattress of the bed. His eyelids began to become rather heavy, and he looked up at Liara, "I hope you don't mind, but I think I'm going to try to get some sleep now."

Liara smiled down at him, speaking softly, "I will remain for a while. Just sleep."

Nick, however, did not hear her final words, having already drifted off into sleep, leaving Liara to just sit there and watch over him, her eyes imprinting his face to her memory.

* * *

><p>Kyriash paced through the commons room, largely ignoring the table in the room, other than as a fixture to walk around repeatedly, just as the thoughts were racing through her mind, round and round in an endless circle. She kept trying to focus on what they had told her; alternate dimensions, of all things! But yet, her focus kept going back to Ian, and how much he continued to grate against her nerves.<p>

She growled to herself, flexing her mandibles in irritation at his nickname for her. The very _sound_ of it made her plates itch. With a snarl, she pushed those thoughts aside, and tried to focus on the facts. She mentally listed them off; '_Alright, the facts. First, they want me to teach them to fight; I can do that, easy enough, so long as they're willing to learn. Second, they are offering to pay me for it. They haven't told me how much yet, but there's always room to haggle the costs. Third, they are all ready quite well equipped, and seem to have everything they need to learn, except experience, which again is something I can provide._'

Kyriash stopped, remembering something, before continuing, '_And I know that I desperately need the money. That was the whole point of coming out here to an Alliance colony. Three weeks I've searched for a job, and this is the only offer I've received_...'

The Turian rolled her eyes upwards towards the ceiling, flexing her mandibles, before letting out a deep sigh, turning and walking out of the commons room. Traversing across the cargo bay took only a few seconds, and finding the med-bay was simple enough; there were only two rooms in the back of the ship, one being engineering, the other being the med-bay. The small red cross on the door was an easy enough distinguishing factor, one she had learned about during her time among the humans. With another sigh to herself, she stepped up to the door, which slid open for her, sensing her presence.

Moving inside, her eyes quickly adjusted to the slightly brighter light, and she found herself looking at most of the group, minus the Asari and the Human called Nick, whom she hadn't seen yet. Her eyes stopped on Ian; or rather, on the mechanized being standing next to Ian, using some kind of medical equipment on Ian's bare chest. Kyriash had to repress the urge to snort, seeing the soft, squishy body the half-naked Human had, knowing how easily she could disembowel him with her talons. '_Spirits know he's already irritating enough for me to consider it,_' she thought to herself.

Forcing that thought aside, the Turian turned towards Art, speaking, "I've considered your offer."

Art raised a single eyebrow, showing no other visible emotion. "And?"

Kyriash clicked her mandibles, stifling the urge to let out a pained sigh, "Once we come up with an adequate payment amount, I'll tell you."

Ian spoke up from the medical table, "And all the things we told you about ourselves?"

Kyriash spoke without even turning to look at the Human, "Whatever fanatical tales you weave are none of my concern; you're offering to pay me to teach you to fight; beyond that, I have little interest or concern."

Out of the corner of her eye, Kyriash could see Ian smirking at her, and her mind again pictured disemboweling him, this time with much more vivid detail. She almost laughed, however, watching him wince, then let out a yell as the Geth jabbed at him with more medical machinery.

* * *

><p>AN: Ok, if you're confused about the ship layout, it's like this:

The cockpit up front (obviously), a hallway with a commons/mess hall room next to the bridge, the barracks between the commons room and the large cargo bay, the cargo bay with a sliding door on one side, and two rooms in the back, one being engineering, the other being the med-bay. Also, the cargo bay is a bit smaller, having taken some room to put in a GARDIAN turret that deploys out of the top of the ship, the same design of turret like those used on Horizon; useful when the ship's stationary, almost useless when the ship's moving/flying. They've got a Grizzly tank, and a number of crates that none of them have opened yet...


	9. Chapter 9 The Game Has Changed

A/N: Ok, so the last half of the story I wrote on my ipod. Thankfully, however, my computer came back from the tech repair place on Friday, and last night we finished double checking the entire system for malware/viruses/etc, so now my computer has a clean bill of health!

Archerstar: don't worry, others will get hurt soon enough. As for everything else you addressed in your review... you'll find out. Eventually.

Dreaded-DeathX: Yeah, I know I had people reading my other stories; that being said, not only have I had more people reviewing, I've had a much higher number of people fav-ing this story than any of my other stories. And yeah, I know my other stories had problems; namely, the big problem that back then, I had zilch experience in writing. So in essence, those stories were my practice.

FuckingTypo: I've noticed you seem to have this death wish for Ian. I'm a little confused about that...

And everyone else: _THANK GOD MY COMPUTER LIVES!_

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><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 9

"This is Emily Wong, for Citadel News net. In a surprising move, Cerberus has petitioned to the Systems Alliance for a reinstatement into the System's Alliance organizational structure, citing that a shift in the galactic scene has brought more urgent issues to the forefront; little mention, however, was made of the 'Reapers' mentioned in their manifesto. It is likely that should negotiations take place between Cerberus and the Systems Alliance, more information will be dispersed to the general public. In other news, a recent slaver assault on the Alliance colony of Therum was thwarted by an archaeology team headed by one Liara T'soni, daughter of well-renowned Matriarch Benezia T'soni."

* * *

><p>Nick winced slightly as he lifted himself from the bed, his side still slightly stinging. A quick glance at his omni-tool showed him the time, causing him to shake his head, muttering aloud, "We've already been here a week." He chuckled to himself, as he pulled his body off of the bed, glancing around to make sure no one else was in the room. Satisfied, he quickly stripped out of his casual clothing, donning his armor as fast as his gingerly sore stomach would allow. Before pulling the top part of his armor underlay on, he glanced down at his stomach, examining the eight small scars that had formed, each one standing out against his abs. Shaking his head again, he quickly slipped it on, followed by the rest of his armor.<p>

Having been forced to bed rest for three and a half days, and having nothing better to do, Nick had seen it fit to customize his armor with some paint after Legion had repaired it of its battle damage. He picked up the torso piece, an Aegis Vest, admiring the pitch black covering the entire armor, with a single thin, deep crimson stripe down the left side of the chest, a prominent feature against the black surrounding it, moving from the left shoulder straight down, which matched up against a similar stripe moving down the side of the left leg.

Pulling the torso piece on, Nick grabbed the shield capacitor belt, slipping it on before pulling on the leg pieces, careful to adjust the extra ordinance pack that he favored. He grinned, looking down at the heavy dampening gauntlets that he had modified, allowing for yet another extra pair of ordinance packs to be mounted onto each of his upper arms, just above the forearm armor plates. Finally, Nick reached down and picked up his Archon Visor, a replacement for the Sentry Interface he had been using.

Grabbing his weapons, he attached them to the magnetic weapon mounts on his back, walking out of the barracks while he did so, turning towards the commons room. Stepping into the room, Nick was immediately assaulted with the sounds of yelling, as well as the sight of Ian and Kyriash both standing over the table, nose to... well, snout... shouting obscenities at each other. Nick smirked, calling out, "Good morning! Nice to see we're all getting along so perfectly this morning!"

They both turned towards Nick, snarling simultaneously, "Fuck off!" Nick immediately threw his hands up in a placating gesture, not really wanting to get involved in an argument before breakfast. Apparently deciding that they'd had enough of their morning argument, Kyriash, still fuming, turned and practically stormed out of the room, though she had enough presence of mind to sidestep around Nick, rather than plowing through him.

Ian, with a smirk, called out, "I look forward to our next spat, Kyri!" The sound that came from the Turian's throat could only be described as a cross between a growl, a snarl, and a roar, as without turning around, she lifted one hand, extending her middle talon; an obvious Human gesture she had apparently picked up from her week surrounded by them.

If the door could have been slammed shut, Nick was sure Kyriash would have done it, purely out of anger and spite. He looked at the door, then to the only other occupant in the room. "Ian, why do you egg her on like that?"

He just shrugged, lowering himself back down to the table with his likely cold breakfast. "I couldn't really tell you, Nick. I don't set out each day to start an argument with her, but half the time she's actively looking for stuff to call me out on. Either during training, or during down-time. I swear, the only time I can get a few moments of silence to myself is in bed or in the bathroom!"

Nick just laughed quietly, as he moved across the room towards the small kitchenette, pulling out a box of futuristic cereal. Pouring himself a bowl, he turned towards Ian, "Speaking of the training, how has that been going?"

Ian grimaced, explaining, "Other than our resident Turian trying to kill me, just peachy. I thought my athletics training back on Earth was hard." Glancing up, he noticed the look he was getting from Nick, he let out a sigh, "Okay, it's progressing fair enough. I'm getting taught sniping and tech, Art and Brendan seem to be excelling on the whole all out assault front. Kyri's giving me these stupidly hard tasks...not that I ever do good enough to make her happy anyway. But I think I'm doing just fine. Art and Brendan are practically flying through the training she's giving them, tackling just about any challenge, either together, or individually. Joc is struggling a little adjusting to using guns; apparently she's more of a martial artist, so guns aren't her strong suite, but she's getting better." Ian glanced Nick top to bottom as he sat down, cereal in hand, "How's your biotics practice with Liara going?"

Nick shrugged, shoveling a spoon-full of cereal into his mouth, "It's really slow going. I mean, I can sense the eezo easy enough; getting it to do what I want, however, is the really tricky part. I can build up plenty of energy, I just can't seem to focus it."

Ian nodded, "I think I get it. Makes me glad I'm doing tech... Just got to press a few buttons to make things explode, rather than all that hassle. Speaking of which, how has your training with Kyri been going?"

Nick smirked, "Probably quite a bit better than yours has, I would daresay."

Ian swore under his breath before responding, "If she isn't trying to kill you with every maneuver she's putting you through, then yes, I would have to agree with you."

Nick glanced around the room, before asking, "Where is everyone?"

Ian shrugged, pushing food around on his plate idly, "Art and Brendan are running through the training sims in the cargo hold, I think Joc is working in engineering, trying to learn about tech from Legion; definite kudos to her for taking that all in. I like Legion, but...Christ, it's like banging your head against a brick wall sometimes trying to talk to him. Anyways, I'm obviously here finishing eating, no idea where Kyri went, and Liara is down doing her archaeology stuff, like usual."

Nick nodded, before finishing off the last couple of bites of his breakfast. "Thanks; well, have fun with whatever you're gonna go work on; I'll be down helping Liara."

As Nick dropped his dish into the tiny sink, Ian snickered behind him, "And what exactly are you going to help her do? You don't know the first thing about archaeology!"

Nick turned to him, a blank expression on his face, and shrugged, "Maybe I'm learning."

With that, Nick walked out of the room, leaving Ian sitting there, shaking his head laughing. "Learning my ass."

* * *

><p>Art held his breath, scanning the immediate area around him, elevated on a platform a few feet above the floor. He watched the entire hold, from left to right, waiting for any visible movement. A quick glance at his gun made sure he had a concussive round loaded into his gun, before he was watching again. He waited a few moments, before slowly crawling onto another crate, this one a bit higher than the previous one, giving him a better view of the entire area.<p>

Brendan, on the other hand, very slowly extended the small mirror he kept with him, just around the corner of a crate, watching Art shift his position. He smirked to himself, knowing that a simple distraction could buy him the time he needed to hit Art with his own concussive round. Slowly retracting the mirror, Brendan activated his omni-tool, and set a tech mine he had placed in the opening few seconds of the 'round' to detonate in an EM pulse, which would flash and spark upon detonation. He put the detonator on a four second timer, closing his omni-tool and prepping his sniper rifle, his weapon's counter displaying a letter C to let him know the type of round.

Two seconds before the tech mine detonated, Nick entered the cargo bay, and seeing Art on top of one of the higher crates, couldn't help but smirk, calling out, "Hey Art!" Art immediately spun his head around, rolling off the crate, firing off a round in his general direction, forcing Nick to dive behind cover. Nick reached down, pulling out his Predator pistol, and thumbing a button on the handle, loaded his own concussive round. A moment later, a static burst echoed throughout the cargo hold, as well as a stream of curses from Brendan, bringing a smile to Nick's face.

"Nick, you ass! This is our match!"

Nick, holding his pistol, began to slowly maneuver around the smattering of crates that had turned the cargo hold into a maze, called out, "Always be prepared for the unexpected, Brendan!" With that, Nick began sliding along a row of crates, watching in front of him, and occasionally glancing behind him to make sure no one was sneaking up on him.

Art grimaced, wincing as he lifted himself off of the floor, having bounced off of three different crates on his way down from his high perch. He folded his sniper rifle, and pulled out his own pistol, loading a concussive round into it. He glanced around, quietly jogging over behind a crate for cover, and sat there, waiting.

Brendan sprinted around his crate, moving towards the far side of the room, his pistol in hand. With a smirk, he placed another tech mine in a small niche between two crates, and set a proximity detonator onto the device, before continuing to run.

Hearing footsteps approaching his position, Nick stopped, crouching down closer to the ground. He readied his pistol, watching the corner where the footsteps were approaching from, looking down the sights of the gun. A moment later, Brendan shot out from around the corner, stopping dead in his tracks at the sight of Nick's gun already pointing at him. Without hesitating, Nick fired his gun, hitting Brendan directly in the chest. The concussive round sent him sprawling onto the ground.

Brendan weakly called out from the ground, "I'm out... ungh..."

Nick smirked, and walked past Brendan, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Sorry 'bout that, buddy; but you should've checked your corners before running out." Brendan didn't give a response, plenty happy to just lay there on the ground, curled up in the fetal position from the impact shot to his torso.

Continuing onward, Nick walked slowly, figuring that if Brendan had been the one who had set off the tech mine earlier on, then it would stand to reason that he would have used more. Catching sight of a glimpse of an orange light, Nick turned down another narrow walkway, rather than risk dealing with the mine.

Art squeezed the grip of his pistol, glancing around nervously. He had heard Brendan say he was out, and knew that he was relatively close. He stayed down low, crouched behind the crate, as he waited for Nick to come around one of the two corners in his sight. He waited a few heartbeats, before his breath hitched in his throat, hearing a sound from directly above him. Art looked up behind him, just in time to catch a glimpse of a Turian, before his world exploded in light and sound, a concussion round hitting his helmet square on.

Kyriash smirked, watching Art fall to the floor, limp and unconscious. She quietly dropped down from her perch, loading another concussion round into her gun, her eyes scanning around her, as she smelled the air, trying to figure out where Nick was. A moment later, she froze, her blood boiling, as she heard Ian's voice sound out. "Oh Niiiiiick, where are you?" Kyriash's mandibles flared wide, her focus on Nick completely forgotten, as she honed her senses in on another target.

Ian let out a grunt as he jumped up, grabbing the lip of a crate, and pulled himself onto it, lying down to keep from being spotted. He glanced around, watching as closely as he could for any movement. He waited like that for a few minutes, his impatience nearly getting the better of him. His wait, however, paid off, as he caught sight of Nick's head, just enough of a glimpse to see where he was. Ian quickly threw himself down, and jogged as stealthily as he could manage, his gun at the ready.

Nick held his breath as he heard something scrape against one of the crates, sounding suspiciously like metal of some kind. He braced himself against the crate nearest the next corner, holding his gun towards the ceiling in front of him, waiting for movement. Just as he was about to lean forward to get a glance, Kyriash shot out from around the corner, her pistol leveled at his head. Nick held his breath, not daring to move, staring down the barrel of the gun. He noticed Kyriash grimacing slightly, before her eyes darted out around Nick, to something behind him.

As Ian stepped out from around a corner, he stopped, amused by the sight of Nick staring down the barrel of Kyriash's gun, and so watched to see her take the shot. What he didn't count on, however, was for Kyriash to grab Nick's shoulder, bodily throw him to the ground, only to jump over him, pointing her gun... at him. Ian threw himself around the corner, just as Kyriash fired her gun, narrowly missing his shoulder. Without waiting, Ian took off running, randomly turning left and right inside the maze of cargo containers.

Kyriash followed Ian's scent, her blood boiling in her veins with the adrenaline of the chase, feeling every bit the predator her ancestors had once been. She felt every one of her senses heightened, her vision narrowed as though she were looking down a tunnel. Within a few turns, she had managed to catch up to Ian, letting out a snarl. He spun around, bringing up his gun at the same time she did. In a split second, the two of them stared at each other, eyes boring into one another. Then, in a single fluid gesture, Kyriash threw her gun aside, opting instead to throw herself at Ian, her mandibles clicking.

Ian barely had time to gasp as the pistol fell from his hands, his body being forced onto the ground with claws at his throat. While he still hand momentum on his side, Ian put his foot against Kyriash's chest, forcing her up and over him, her back impacting against a crate as Ian tried to pull himself off the floor, his own face set into a scowl. Kyriash snarled again, quickly righting herself in an almost feline manner, before running towards Ian. Thinking quickly, Ian sidestepped her at the last second, running the opposite direction and jumping up, grabbing the lip of a container to pull himself up.

As he pulled his legs up, he heard Kyriash let out a roar, her claws scraping where his toes had been only an instant before. Ian let out a sigh as he began running from crate to crate, fleeing from the blood-crazed Turian female apparently trying to kill him. He jumped from one crate to the next, over a large gap, again barely avoiding the woman's claws. As his feet touched down, he immediately jumped over the next gap, gaining some distance between himself at the Turian.

Brendan limped along, cradling his gut, as he tried to find his way out of the cargo bay's maze of crates. He stopped in place, however, once he heard an inhuman snarling roar from nearby. He spun around in time to see Ian jumping from one crate to the next, followed by an extremely pissed off Turian on the ground, chasing after him. He shook his head, picking up the pace to get out.

Kyriash could hardly think straight as she ran, the blood flowing so thoroughly through her veins, adrenaline at levels she wasn't sure she'd ever experienced before. She had hunted before, surely, as every Turian had during childhood; however, no prey had ever been as elusive or as thrilling to chase as this Human was proving to be. She snapped her jaws together, her mandibles fluttering anxiously, as Ian jumped over yet another set of crates from him. With a grunt, she threw herself up, almost landing on her feet on top of the crates as well, immediately resuming the chase at his level.

Ian nearly wet himself as he glanced over his shoulder, seeing Kyriash on top of the crates with him, chasing after him still. He tried to will his legs to move faster, but his adrenaline was wearing off, and he was quickly tiring. He heard the Turian snarl again, and could almost feel her breath on the back of his neck. As he glanced behind him, he saw Kyriash, just as she was jumping, her taloned hands extended towards him, mandibles wide, giving the Turian a more vicious look, all of her teeth visible. With a push, the Turian knocked both of them off of the crates, spinning through the air.

With a loud banging noise, the two of them landed onto the ground in a twisted pile of armor and limbs, Ian struggling, Kyriash snarling. As Kyriash shifted on top of Ian, the Human saw a discarded pistol lying on the ground, just within his reach. With a pained grunt of exertion, he reached out, grabbing it, and quickly brought it up against the Turian's neck, just as she was about to swipe her taloned hand across his face.

They both sat there, Kyriash straddling Ian's waist, talons extended, frozen in midair for the kill, as Ian kept the pistol pressed against her neck. Slowly, Kyriash lowered her arm, as well as her upper body, bringing her face to face with Ian. Ian suddenly realized just how close the two of them were, and found himself staring deep into her eyes, neither one of them quite thinking as clearly, the blood still pounding through their heads. Ian barely registered the pistol slipping from his grasp, Kyriash's face moving ever closer, her mandibles quivering slightly.

* * *

><p>Nick rubbed his shoulder, slowly swinging his arm around to get feeling back into it from where it had impacted against the floor. Walking through the maze of crates, Nick heard Ian let out a yell, followed by the sound of something heavy impacting the decking of the cargo bay. He picked up his pace, moving towards the sound, when he heard another sound, the sound of a weapon dropping onto the deck, the metal clanking against metal, causing his heart to nearly stop. Nick practically ran through the crates, terrified that Kyriash or Ian were injured, or trying to kill each other.<p>

He managed to round the corner to one of the walls of crates, just in time to come to a dead stop, his eyes glued to the sight in front of him; Kyriash, straddling Ian, nuzzling his neck, a faint purring noise barely distinguishable. After a moment, Nick just shook his head, a smirk forming on his face, as he turned around and made his way out of the crate maze, only having to pull out his omni-tool once to figure out the exit. Seeing the two of them "getting along" was enough for Nick to be able to leave the two unsupervised.

Nearing the exit to the maze, Nick paused, hearing a moaning noise come from behind one of the crates. Glancing over the crate, he almost busted out laughing; there sat Art, lying on his back, holding his head with one hand, a very clear scuff mark visible on his visor from a concussion round impact. He reached down, helping the other man to his feet.

"So, I see that Kyriash found you before you found her."

Art glared at him, the sight of his face slightly obscured by the black mark, "Yeah? I see you don't have a single mark on you; I guess that means you won, huh?"

Nick began rubbing the back of his neck, glancing away, "Uh... Not exactly..."

Art gave nick a confused look, his head tilting slightly, " What do you mean, not exactly?"

With a sigh, Nick explained, "Well, Kyriash had me at gunpoint, when she caught sight of Ian. She then proceeded to bodily manhandle me to the ground, her focus entirely on Ian. I found them just a minute ago... Working out their differences."

Art's eyes grew wide, his face taking on a panicked countenance, "We have to go stop them from killing each other!"

Nick began to snicker, trying to hide his amusement, somewhat unsuccessfully. "Heh... I don't think that'll be an issue." He elaborated at Art's confused look, "They're sorting their differences in a test of 'reach and flexibility,' if you get my meaning."

Art looked thoughtful for a moment, as though he were trying to remember the reference, before his eyes grew even wider, his jaw dropping. "You're kidding!"

Nick's grin only grew wider, "Nope."

After a few moments of gaping, Art finally closed his mouth, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't want to know."

Not having anything more to say, Art walked towards the back of the ship, still rubbing his head. Nick just shrugged to himself. After a moment, he brought up his omni-tool, and spoke into it, saying, "EDI, I'm heading down into the dig site with Liara. Make sure that everyone is ok after that match; coordinate with Legion if you have to."

EDI spoke through the device, "Affirmative, Nick."

With that, nick walked into the airlock, fitting a breather mask over his mouth, as the Archon Visor activated a tiny kinetic barrier between it and his face to hold in the oxygen around his eyes, protecting them. A few moments later, Nick was walking across the surface of Therum, the dust coating the ground being kicked up with each footstep. He walked quickly, wishing to get out of the stifling heat as quickly as possible.

As the door to the tunnel closed behind him, he breathed a sigh of relief, the ambient temperature immediately dropping at least twenty degrees. He walked grisly down the slightly steep tunnel into the mined out caves leading to the Prothean ruins, the temperature continuing to drop the deeper he went. He saw the small lights that they had deployed in the tunnels, giving the dark red rook and eerie blue-green glow.

He made his way down through then tunnels, taking two different elevators down to the lowest level of the ruins, where Liara was busy working. It didn't take him long to figure out where she was, as he could hear her muttering to herself. He smirked, walking closer to see if he could make out what she was saying.

"...Just wish that I could understand... Always... Running about, ensuring my safety..." Nick would have heard more, but he shifted slightly, just enough to knock loose a rock, the sound of it impacting against the ground resonating through the large underground chamber. Liara's head shot up, and her eyes jerkily moved around, until they settled on Nick, causing her entire stance to relax, a smile gracing her face. "Nick, I did not hear you approaching."

Nick shrugged, his own smile evident. "Well, you know, I just thought I'd drop by, see how things were going."

Liara's smile grew, and she gestured to the ruins around her, "All of this is absolutely fascinating, Nick! He sheer size of these ruins, not to mention the fact that most of this structure still has an active power supply! If i could only find an active terminal, the wealth of knowledge that could be gleaned from its databases could be more than anyone could possibly fathom!"

Nick's smile grew as he listened to the Asari ramble, her voice and face betraying the excitement she was feeling. If Nick hadn't known any better, he would have assumed she was little more than a child in a candy store. "I'm glad you're having so much fun. Would you like me to help you look?"

The Asari nodded emphatically, "Oh yes, please. With two of us searching, we may find something that I myself would miss, searching alone."

With another smile and a shrug, Nick moved past Liara, his eyes scanning along the various surfaces of the entire structure.

* * *

><p>Ian gently pushed Kyriash away, his face flushed, feeling her taloned hands pressing against his armor's chest plate, "Kyri... Wha...?"<p>

The Turian pulled away, her gaze moving towards the crates next to them. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, her mandibles twitching, in a seemingly confused manner. Finally, she began to lift herself from atop Ian's body, her head hung in shame. "I-I should go..."

Before she could get very far, however, Ian reached up, grasping her wrist. Kyriash stopped, looking first at the hand holding her wrist, then at the owner of the hand, her eyes questioning. Ian pulled himself into a sitting position, prompting Kyriash to sit down next to him, their armor clanking against each other. Without saying another word, Ian reached up with one hand, gingerly stroking one of Kyriash's mandibles. The Turian's eyes closed, a soft purring sound emanating from her throat at the sensation.

After a few moments of this, she turned to him, her eyes opening, and she questioned, "Why?"

Ian sat there for a moment, considering the question, before shrugging, looking her right in the eye, "Why not?"

With those words, Ian slowly leaned forward, gingerly resting his forehead against hers, his own eyes closing as he took in the scent of her breath, a hint of a metallic tinge to it.

* * *

><p>As Nick ran his fingers over yet another of the walls, he let out a sigh, an involuntary shiver running up his spine at the thought of all the Protheans that had once lived in the structure around him, and for a moment, he swore he could hear the hushed whispers of the dead and the damned of the planet, the billions and trillions of voices extinguished by the plague that was the Reapers.<p>

After a few moments, Nick shook his head, doing his best to clear the thought from his mind. If he focused too much on thoughts like that, he knew, he would slowly wind his way down the path of insanity. Idly, he leaned his back against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment to try to relax. Before he realized what was happening, the wall behind him suddenly gave way, causing him to yell out, falling backwards.

With a loud thud, his head impacted against the floor, causing light to shoot in his retinas. Nick tried to blink it away, but after a few moments, he realized the light was actually coming from the ceiling above him. With a groan, Nick pulled himself off the floor, rubbing the back of his head. He glanced around him, taking in the room around him. His eyes grew wide as he figured it out; he had just found some kind of hidden room.

Nick practically shot off the floor onto his feet, shakily placing a hand onto the wall nearest him to keep from falling back down to the floor. He turned around, only to nearly fall again at the sight; a Prothean beacon, with a Prothean silver orb floating next to it. Nick turned his he's slightly, his eyes glued to the beacon, "Uh... Liara?"

At the sound of his voice, the orb began to emit a low humming noise, the sound seemingly shaking his very core. A bright light shot out from the orb, scanning his head, then the rest of his body. As the light reached his feet, it suddenly snapped off, deactivating. Just as the orb 'turned off,' the beacon began to emit energy, a faint haze of green-yellow electricity sparking off its surface, arching between the beacon and the orb.

Nick found himself being drawn towards the beacon, his feet unable to respond to his mind's command to turn and run. The few seconds it took for him to be drawn to the device felt like an eternity, the piece of technology towering over him like a specter of death. Nick grimaced, knowing that he was about to receive a mind download of some kind from the device.

Just as his feet left the floor, he heard Liara's voice behind him, calling out, "NICK!" An instant later, an arch of yellow electricity shot forth, impacting directly against Nick's forehead, plunging his world into darkness.

* * *

><p>Nick found himself standing in what appeared to be a black void, the ground stretching forth into what seemed to be eternity. Even though everything was dark, he could see for what seemed like forever. As he glanced around, the seconds ticking off in his mind, a sense of panic began to envelop him, not knowing where he was, or what was going on.<p>

An instant later, Nick heard an unfamiliar, feminine voice sound out from behind him, "W-who are you?"

* * *

><p>AN: Yet another twist in this plot of mine. Enjoy.


	10. Chapter 10 Trapped

A/N: Well ladies and Gent's, we've got ourselves yet another chapter, written more or less in a day and a half. Feel lucky; it was another chapter that just kind of came to me while I was writing it.

Herr Wozzeck: I'm glad you're enjoying what I'm doing with the story; and don't worry, there's plenty of time for Art to rib Ian and Kyriash a bit.

Dreaded-DeathX: trust me, I'm working hard to not flop this story; it's my baby (figuratively speaking). I figure the Emily Wong bits on occasion allow for glimpses in the rest of the ME universe, and how Nick and Co. are influencing the universe around them, whether they really know it or not. I tried my hardest to get the combat/training scene right. With the romance sub-plots, it's one thing to have them admit feelings for each other; getting relationships to work... that'll take a bit more effort. Not to mention, I know what I'm planning for Kyriash, and you _will_ be surprised, I guarantee that. And I really try to make sure there's some realistic emotions involved; moreso than just what's usually on the surface.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 10

Liara was having the time of her life, her omni-tool scanning over the surface of a piece of an artifact within the ruins, something she had never before seen. As she was scanning it, however, she heard Nick's voice just down the hall; "Uh... Liara?" She glanced over her shoulder, curious, but when she caught sight of a door that had not been there previously, her eyes widened, and she stood up, the artifact in her hand forgotten, falling to the ground. She rushed over, walking briskly to the doorway. Stepping into the door, her heart nearly stopped at the sight; Nick, floating in the air in front of what appeared to be a Prothean beacon, as well as a Prothean sphere of some kind.

"_NICK!,_" she called out, just as a bolt of yellowish energy shot out of the beacon, striking Nick's forehead. She tried to move closer to help him, but some kind of energy field forced her back, keeping her away from him. The energy bolts continued to strike across Nick's body, seemingly covering every inch of his body in a methodical pattern of some kind. She felt a single tear run down her cheek as she watched, unable to help Nick.

As her eyes roamed over the Prothean devices, she saw that there was another bolt of energy, a green bolt, between the beacon and the sphere. Unlike the jumping bolt dancing over Nick's suspended body, this bolt was staying constant, as though it were draining some kind of energy from the sphere. Within seconds, the sphere began to lose its silvery sheen, and the area on the sphere farthest from the beacon began to shift to a dull, dead, metallic color, almost as though it were turning into an inert piece of rock.

It felt like an eternity to Liara, but the entire event took less than a minute, as the sphere seemed to be drained of the last of its energy, the beacon deactivated, dropping Nick to the ground somewhat unceremoniously. Liara immediately rushed to Nick's side, her hands over his chest, feeling for a heartbeat. She nearly laughed with relief, feeling his heart beating steadily and strongly. She then shifted herself, moving towards Nick's head, and began shaking his shoulders. "Nick, wake up! Please, wake up!"

As she looked down at his form, her worry increasing as to the very real possibility of his mind being damaged by the event, she noticed his eyes, while closed, were moving rapidly, as though he were seeing or watching something in his unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>On board the Santa Maria, Brendan and Art both sat in the commons room, each with an ice pack, sitting around the main table. Neither one of them was talking, as they were both content to sit there and let the cold ice lessen the throbbing pain each of them had from taking concussion rounds to their stomach and face, respectively. As neither of them was talking, they both jumped as EDI's hologram suddenly appeared in the center of the table, and immediately spoke, "I have detected a large power surge beneath the surface, within the ruins of the Prothean structure."<p>

Art set his ice pack down onto the table, looking at EDI from behind his bruised forehead, "Ok? What exactly does that mean?"

The AI responded, "I am unsure; however, the power spike has coincided with an elevated heart-rate and brain activity in Nick."

Brendan's brow shot up, "You can monitor that kind of information on us?"

"Affirmative. So long as you are within range, I can link to each of your hard-suits, and monitor each of your vitals for any anomalies. Given the current data, it would appear that Nicholas is currently in the process of linking with a Prothean beacon."

Both Art and Brendan shot up from their chairs, yelling out simultaneously, "_What?_"

Art turned to Brendan, picking up his helmet from the table, "Brendan, go get Ian and Kyriash; I'm going to go get Joc."

Brendan grabbed his own helmet, a questioning look on his face, "What're we going to do?"

Art shrugged, turning and walking out of the room, "We're going to go down there. After all, who knows if Nick's hurt?"

Brendan nodded, mostly to himself, "Alright. I'll grab the first aid kit."

The two of them quickly went their separate ways, moving through the ship. Within a few minutes, the only sentient beings left on the ship were Legion and EDI, as the rest of the crew moved out and down into the tunnels, running as fast as they could to get to where Nick was, Art in the forefront with his omni-tool displaying Nick and Liara's location.

* * *

><p>"<em>W-who are you?<em>" Nick spun around, towards the sound of the voice, only for his brow to furrow in confusion. There, behind him, was a seemingly shapeless, floating entity of some kind. For a moment, Nick wondered if it was some kind of AI, but watching the shifting of its shape, realized that the patterns were too random, too chaotic for that. Continuing to watch, however, he saw the shape begin to take on a vaguely humanoid form, and it almost had a definite shape and quality to it.

Before the entity could resolve any further, however, a bolt of energy seemed to come out of the sky, the same kind of yellow bolt that had struck him from the beacon, hitting both the entity and himself. In a flash, he saw the entity being flung at him by some unseen force, and before a scream could leave his throat, the entity was upon him, being forced _inside _of him. Immediately, a myriad of images began flying through his mind, none of them clear enough for him to understand.

As the images continued to cross his field of vision, he could feel another presence brush up against his mind, before recoiling away. Within that brief touch, Nick felt the foreignness and strangeness of what had to be the entity, that had he been able to, he would have recoiled from it as well. As it were, the images continued to fly past his vision, some of life, pleasure, some of pain. The images towards the end however, were the ones he had been expecting from the beginning; images of death and destruction, the end brought about by the Reapers. As the last image came to his mind, it slowed down, and for an instant, Nick saw a single Reaper flying towards him, its tentacles waving lazily as it seemed to be coming directly at him.

* * *

><p>Liara jumped back as Nick shot up, a blood-curdling scream coming from his throat. After a moment, he stopped screaming, and he began looking around the room wildly, his breathing fast and erratic. Liara shifted back closer to Nick, and put a hand onto his shoulder. "Nick, calm down! You are all right! Everything is fine."<p>

His eyes settled onto Liara, and his breathing began to calm. As Liara looked into his eyes, her brow-ridge furrowed, as though something was confusing her, before her eyes shot wide open, her jaw dropping, causing Nick to worry a bit. "Liara? What's wrong?"

"Nick..." she began, but paused, still with a shocked look on her face. "Nick... your eyes..."

Nicks hands shot up to his face, just below his eyes, somewhat instinctively. "What about my eyes?" When Liara didn't answer, he asked again, "Liara? What's wrong with my eyes?"

When she didn't respond even then, Nick brought up his omni-tool, and activated the devices' internal camera, and angled it towards himself, taking a single snap-shot of his face. He quickly brought up the picture, looking at it on his omni-tool, only to gasp at the sight; his once-hazel irises, now a vibrantly bright orange. He stared at his own eyes for what seemed like forever, staring at the foreign color in his eyes, when he noticed something else. He zoomed in on his forehead, looking closer at his hairline, as he saw what appeared to be a white/silver color, just at the roots of his hair.

He spun to the Asari, who had silently been watching him the whole time, "Liara, look at my hair, right at the roots. Is it my imagination, or are the roots a white color instead of brown?"

Liara scooted closer, shifting her body so she wasn't completely against Nick, and looked closer at his hair. "Yes, I believe it is, Nick. What happened?"

He shook his head, "I... I don't know."

Before he could say anything else, the sound of echoing footsteps resounded through the hallway outside, quickly growing louder, until a crowd of people came running into the room all at once, each trying to squeeze through the door at the same time. After a few moments, everyone managed to enter the small room, all of them gaping as soon as they laid eyes on Nick and Liara on the floor; or, more specifically, when their eyes fell upon Nick's changed eyes.

Art managed to speak first, "Holy shit on a single... Nick, what did you do to your eyes?"

Brendan chipped in before Nick could respond, a smirk on his face, "Those are contact lenses, aren't they?"

Nick just shook his head, letting out a sigh as he did so. He flipped his thumb out, pointing at the beacon and still smoking sphere, "That's what happened."

Ian pushed between Art and Brendan, getting a better look at the beacon, as all of them stared wide eyed at the device. "Jesus, Nick," Ian started, "There wasn't supposed to be a beacon down here! Do you know what you've done?"

Nick gave Ian a rather pointed glare, "Other than having the mental equivalent of running a metal wire brush in one ear and out the other? I've been brain-raped by a fifty thousand year old Lite-Bright, that's what!"

Ian shook his head, continuing, "No, there's more to it; getting mind probed by a Prothean beacon shouldn't have given you orange eyes. What _really _happened?"

Nick looked away from everyone, down towards the ground for a few moments, lost in thought. Finally, he let out a sigh, turning back up towards the group still standing, "For a moment, I thought I was stuck in some kind of bleak hell; there was this barren landscape, a flat horizon, and nothing else. I heard a voice call out, saw some kind of entity, only to have it be flung at me, then the usual Prothean cipher vision get stuck in my head. Beyond that, I don't know."

Liara, still sitting next to Nick, spoke up, pointing, "That sphere was active before Nick was pulled into the beacon's range, and some sort of energy transfer took place while Nick was connected to the beacon. It's as though all the energy were drained out of the sphere, and transferred either into the beacon... or into Nick."

Joc spoke up, surprising everyone, "Why would it transfer its energy into Nick? It sounds like it would be kind of pointless, unless it was more than just energy." Seeing everyone staring at her, Joc shrugged, "What? Just because I don't know anything about this universe doesn't mean I'm clueless about _all _things sci-fi."

Nick nodded, pulling himself off the floor, "She has a point. I don't really feel any different right now, so it couldn't have just been raw energy that was transferred into me."

Everyone began looking at each other, no one really having any answers to give. Liara, standing up, didn't even seem to have any ideas. After a few moments of this, Brendan let out a sigh, "Good ol' Protheans; leave it to them to leave their mind-fucking toys lying around the galaxy for hapless people like Nick to find."

All eyes turned to Brendan, and he managed to keep a straight face for a few moments, before a smile broke out on his face, and he began to laugh. At first, he was the only one laughing, but it became infectious, and Nick began to smile, then his laughter joined in, followed by the rest of the group. All except Liara and Kyriash, who were looking at the humans as though they had all lost their minds.

As they all began to calm down, Nick realized his omni-tool was beeping at him. Wiping a tear from his eye, he lifted his arm, a smile still on his face, as EDI's avatar materialized over his wrist. "Nick, I have some unpleasant news; the Geth are in orbit."

All of the smiles in the room immediately disappeared, and Nick stared at the AI incredulously, "T-the Geth? Here? Already? How? They weren't supposed to be here yet!"

Nick was sure that if the AI had shoulders, it would be shrugging, "We were wrong. They are sending down troop transports towards the dig site entrance."

Art, Ian and Joc all turned towards the entrance to the room, Art speaking up, "We should get back to the ship!"

Kyriash stood in their way, her arms outstretched, "You can't; you'd never make it there in time."

Brendan got closer to the Turian, "What are we supposed to do, then? Stay down here?"

While the disagreement was going on, Nick had been thinking about their options. Hearing Brendan's statement, a thought came to his mind, and he snapped his fingers together, "I've got it!" He turned towards the Asari, "Liara, was there an operational control terminal anywhere nearby?"

Liara nodded, her brow ridge furrowed in confusion, "Yes, Nick, it is, but I fail to see-"

Nick waved her off, grabbing her hand and pulling her through the group, "Never mind that, come with me!"

The humans and the Turian all looked at Nick dragging Liara, then to each other, before Ian shrugged, turning to follow, "I don't know about you guys, but I'd like to see what Nick has in mind for keeping us among the living."

Kyriash grunted, "What makes you think he has any plan at all? Maybe he's just running because he's dumb enough to try to make it to the ship. Spirits, maybe the beacon fried his brain. How could you possibly know?"

Ian gave the Turian a rather disgruntled look, "Hey Kyri, how about we follow him and find out?" Kyriash let out a snort as Ian rolled his eyes, jogging after Nick and Liara.

Liara let out a gasp, trying her best to keep up with Nick as he held her hand, pulling her along. In truth, she didn't mind so much that he was holding her hand, but she didn't particularly care for being dragged through the hallways of the ancient tower residing underground. "Nick; Where are you *pant* taking me?"

He didn't respond at first, making Liara wonder if he was listening at all. But he did answer a few seconds later, drawing Liara out of her mental speculation, "If we can reach that terminal you found, we should be able to activate this tower's force fields, keeping the Geth away from us long enough for help to arrive! Come on, hurry!"

Liara continued to breathe heavily, unused to the long distance running, when they finally made it to the terminal Liara had found operational. Nick stepped aside while Liara began looking over the various controls, trying to figure out what to use. Nick pulled out his assault rifle, looking out into the caves, watching for the Geth. He began counting off the seconds in his head, standing well inside the tower, as the sounds of mechanical whirring started to echo through the walls of the underground structure.

After a minute or two, Nick glanced behind him, just as the rest of the group came into the room. Nick waved them over, "Guys, you come guard the door from the Geth. I'm going to help Liara with the terminal." Without a word, everyone took up positions around the doorway, using a few small crates as miniscule cover. Nick stepped up next to the Asari, "Liara, how's it coming?"

Liara just shook her head, obviously frustrated, "I don't know, Nick! I can't seem to find the right controls! It's as though the controls have been locked out."

Before Nick could respond, gunfire began to echo through the small space, momentarily diverting everyone's attention. Art turned and looked towards Nick, "The Geth are here!"

Nick called back, "Hold them off as long as you can!" He turned back, looking down at the controls, trying to make heads or tails of the symbols in front of them. However, the more he stared at the symbols, the more they started to make sense to him. As he focused more on them, he felt as though he could hear a whisper in the back of his mind, telling him what to do. Shaking off that absurd notion, he gently pushed Liara out of the way, and without even thinking, his hands began to move of their own accord, almost as though he wasn't controlling them, manipulating the holographic control panel.

"Nick, what are you doing?," Liara asked, looking down at the controls.

Nick just shook his head, not taking his eyes away from the controls, "I have no idea." After a few more moments of this, the console suddenly lit up, glowing a dull green color, before a snapping and hissing noise reached his ears, blocking off all sounds of gunfire. Looking away, he smiled at the sight of the force field, effectively protecting all of them from the Geth. Still smiling, he moved to lean against the wall, momentarily forgetting about the console, his elbow accidentally pressing a button. Before he knew it, he was being swept up by some unseen force, suspended in midair.

"Oof!"

Nick let out a grunt, and as he looked up, he realized that both he and Liara were stuck, suspended in the spherical force-field, at least a foot in the air; the two of them were face to face, pressed almost entirely up against each other, completely beyond normal personal comfort as far as their proximity to one another. Both of them began to blush furiously, realizing just the predicament they were in.

As Art saw the force field snap into existence in front of him, he smiled, letting out a sigh of relief. "Well, that takes care of that problem... whoa..." His train of thought immediately derailed as he turned around, seeing both Nick and Liara stuck inside the security bubble, face to face, their bodies pressed up against each other, both of them blushing so profusely their faces were almost the same shade of purple. He smirked, and gestured to the two of them, "Hey guys, check this out."

As the rest of the group turned around, they each began to laugh, causing the two stuck in the bubble to blush all the more furiously. Nick rotated his head as far as he could, "How about you fools stop gaping like a bunch of brainless pyjaks and _get us out of here!_"

Once Liara realized the predicament she and Nick were in, she wasn't sure whether to be mortified or ecstatic. On one hand, she had become somewhat attracted to Nick, for one reason or another. On the other hand, however, she and Nick had not quite moved anywhere past being friends while they had been on Therum, and to immediately be thrust into such an... intimate... position so quickly, made her heart beat furiously, her head pounding. She prepared herself to say something, just as Nick turned his head, hearing something that one of the others had said. She immediately found herself assaulted with the sensation of Nick's relatively short hair against her face, the smell and feel overpowering her senses.

Brendan stepped up close to the bubble, a smirk plastered on his face, "Well, I see the two of you are enjoying some quality time together in there. Would you like us to give you two some time _alone?_" Nick's head spun around, and if looks could kill, the glare on his face would have peeled the flesh from Brendan's face.

After a few moments, Ian stepped over to the console, "Alright, alright, enough teasing of those two, you guys. Let's get them out of there... _then_ we can ridicule them mercilessly." Ian laughed to himself, before turning to the two trapped in the bubble, "So, what buttons do I press to get you two out of there?"

Nick looked down at the console, trying to focus on the symbols from where he was at, when he heard a distinct whisper in the back of his mind; "_...The one shaped like a crescent moon..._"

Nick's brow furrowed, confused, but mentally shrugged, "The one that looks like a crescent moon."

Ian nodded, then glancing down at the control terminal, looked over the various buttons, before settling on the described control. With a shrug, Ian pressed the button, immediately deactivating the bubble around Nick and Liara, dropping the two of them to the ground, somewhat unceremoniously. Nick landed first, falling backwards as Liara fell on top of him. As they both came to a stop, Liara's face stopped mere centimeters from Nick's the two of them staring into each other's eyes. For an instant, Liara found herself being drawn into his newly-changed orange eyes, just as much as he was drawn to her bright blue eyes.

Art's voice, however, snapped the two out of it, as he came over, kneeling next to the two, "Hey, are you two okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

Liara quickly lifted herself from Nick, moving to sit on the floor, "N-no, Art, I am fine. Thank you for asking."

Nick lifted himself, opting to stay right where he was on the floor, "Yeah, I'm good, Art. Thanks."

After a few moments, everyone moved towards the two on the ground, and they all sat down, looking out through the force field, only to see a large group of Geth staring at them, their flashlight eyes staring emotionlessly at the seven of them, unmoving. After a few moments, Nick brought up his omni-tool, "Nick to EDI; you still there?"

The AI's avatar appeared over his omni-tool, "I am here, Nick."

Ian scooted over next to Nick, "Hey EDI, did the Geth leave the ship alone?"

EDI responded, "They did not have the chance to choose; once we determined they were nearing the ruins, Legion and I decided the best strategy would be to take the Santa Maria off of the planet to somewhere secluded. We are currently en route to an asteroid belt in an adjacent system that should provide us with adequate cover to avoid detection."

Nick furrowed his brow, staring at the AI for a few moments, before responding, "EDI, are you just going to shut down your systems? Or did you have something else in mind?"

The AI was silent for a few seconds, before speaking, "If I had the necessary equipment, I would be able to dig a recess within an asteroid of sufficient mass to create a better position to hide the ship."

Nick lifted an eyebrow, before giving his idea, "Couldn't you just reverse the energy to matter converters aboard the ship?"

EDI didn't respond for a full five seconds. "I do not understand."

Nick explained, "Well, the energy to matter converters use energy to construct things in microfacturing, correct? So why not reverse engineer the tech to convert raw matter into energy? Then you could just bore your way into a large asteroid, and rather than just turning the material into useless dust, convert it into energy? Then you could use it to manufacture a landing pad or docking clamps or something."

EDI was again quiet, this time for even longer; long enough for Nick to start to wonder if his suggestion had overloaded EDI's processors. "I will pursue that line of technology."

Art shifted over to the other side of Nick, "Hey EDI, how is it you're able to communicate with us in real-time if you're flying away?"

This time, the AI responded almost immediately, "That is because Nick's omni-tool is equipment with a quantum entanglement device, allowing for instantaneous communication across the galaxy; Hudson felt that it would be crucial to you, in the event of your needing aid." She paused, "Is there anything you require?"

Nick stared at the AI incredulously for a moment, "Other than a way out? Oh, I don't know; some supplies would be helpful. The Geth did show up about two months before we thought they would. Oh, maybe an army? A few dozen Makos and Hammerheads? A couple of Mantis gunships? Hell, how about a few MIRAGE drones?"

The AI 'stared' at him for a few moments, before responding, "I am unfamiliar with the designation MIRAGE drone."

Nick shrugged, "That's because it doesn't technically exist. It was something I wrote about in one of my Fanfiction stories. I doubt I could ever make it work, though. Anyways, if there were some way we could get some supplies, that would be much appreciated."

"Very well." With that, EDI disappeared, leaving them all to look back at the Geth, still standing there, staring at them all. After a few moments, Nick stood up, and walked over to the force field. Art stared at him, and had no qualms in voicing his concern.

"Nick, what the hell are you doing?"

Nick glanced over his shoulder, before shrugging, "Just trying to see if I can't amuse myself with our 'guests' over here."

Nick then proceeded to lift one hand up, and to his great amusement, the Geth's flashlight heads all followed his head, moving up, tracking the movement. He slowly lowered it, watching as their 'eyes' moved with it, slowly lowering. He jerked his left hand over to the right, nearly falling down laughing as all of the Geth follow the movement, their heads jerking to the right to follow the movement.

Liara stood up, her mouth set into a frown, "Nick, is that the wisest course of action? Taunting the machines that wish to kill us?"

Nick turned around to look at her, "Liara, they'll want to kill us, regardless of if I taunt them or not. So as long as I've got this force field here, keeping them away from me, what's the harm in having some fun?"

Liara shook her head, turning away, "I still do not think it is a good idea."

After a few moments, Nick let out a sigh, and turned back, moving away from the force field, "Ok, fine, I'll stop taunting the homicidal robots from hell." Unbeknownst to Nick or Liara, Brendan turned to Art, and pantomimed the motion of cracking a whip, making the appropriate whipping sound with his mouth, causing Art to snicker under his breath.

Liara picked up her toolkit, and began walking back into the ruins, "I'm going to take this time to do some more examining of these ruins."

Nick walked behind her, "I'll come help."

As the two of them walked out, Art shuffled over closer to Ian, a subtle smirk on his face. "So... Ian... you and Kyriash, huh?"

Ian, knowing exactly what Art was referring to, kept his face carefully neutral, "What do you mean?"

Art shrugged, his smirk growing more prominent, "Oh, you know... making up your differences? Finding time to... work out some stress? Test a little reach versus flexibility?"

Ian glared at Art, his eyes narrowing, "If you value your life, I would suggest you stop right there."

Art held up his hands in mock surrender, "Ok, ok, forget I said anything." Art then stood up, stretching slightly, before his smirk returned. "Anyways, onto a more... _chaffing_ issue..."

Art glanced down, just as Ian looked up at him, and Art immediately took off running, Ian jumping up, chasing after him, hot on Art's heels, a smile on his face the whole time. "You're dead, Art!"

The sounds of footsteps and heavy breathing quickly faded away into the tunnel, leaving Brendan, Joc, and Kyriash in the room with the force field, staring at the Geth. They sat there in relative silence, occasionally hearing the sounds of running and yelling, as well as the occasional crashing, followed by a momentary moan of pain, causing the three of them to chuckle slightly.

* * *

><p>As Nick followed Liara, he found that she had walked back to the room with the now-defunct beacon, and entering it, found her standing in front of it, staring at it. He stood there for a moment, watching her, until she turned around, and spoke to him, her eyes questioning, "How did you know what controls to use?"<p>

Nick shrugged, "I don't know. I just... did."

Liara's face took on a look of suspicion, "I do not believe you; before one week ago, you had never before even laid eyes on Prothean script. You could not have learned that quickly how to operate the controls in that room. I ask again, Nicholas; how did you know what controls to use?"

Nick let out a sigh, his eyes drifting back towards the beacon. "I felt as though there was something telling me what to push, Liara. As though there were a presence in my mind."

Liara's brow ridge furrowed in confusion, "A presence?"

Nick nodded, "Yeah."

Liara took a few steps closer, "Nick, are you saying..."

Nick nodded again, a grimace coming to his face, his orange eyes flashing slightly, "Yes Liara, I think I have a Prothean's consciousness inside my mind."

* * *

><p>AN: I find this rather entertaining, taking all these twists and turns in the plot. I gleefully await your input into my storyline.


	11. Chapter 11 Revelations

A/N: Sorry this chapter came out a few days later than I intended. My girlfriend decided to go into meltdown-mode one afternoon, shooting the rest of _that_ day to hell; then the new DLC for Fallout: NV came out (already beat it, it was actually pretty fun). So enough of my excuses; here you go.

Nogoodnms: nah, I don't want to be him; I'm happy just being me. And unfortunately for you, my mind works in some strange ways...

daedalusN7: actually, the ME universe already has energy to matter tech; problem is, their version of the tech is so power-hungry that they only use it for really small scale, like arms production.

Greed11: the MIRAGE drones are from the first version of I.T.F., during the SG1 portion of the story.

Dreaded-DeathX: Well, it's not as much fun unless there's bright and shiny lights flying everywhere. No, I'm not just going to kill Kyriash off; killing off well developed characters is never fun, and in most instances, completely negates all the effort of _making_ them a well developed character. No, trust me, I think you'll be surprised by what I've got in mind with Kyriash. Also, the force-field that held off the Geth wasn't my idea; it's straight from the game.

FuckingTypo: Way to psyche me out with the first three words of your review. Don't worry, the True Geth will be entering the story; just not right off the bat. As for the speediness of these chapters... well, I've got a lot of time between classes to type, and I have a _very_ long commute to college, which gives me lots of brain-storming time. Typing time + brainstorming time = faster chapters.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 11

_Two Weeks Later..._

* * *

><p>This is Citadel News Net; I'm Emily Wong. We have just received word that the Human colony of Eden Prime has just come under attack; current evidence points towards the assault coming from the Geth, who haven't been seen outside the Perseus Veil in over three hundred years. Additional images have been taken, however, of a strange new ship, easily the size of a dreadnaught, landing onto the surface of the planet. Its origins, and its purpose are yet unknown. Thanks to the timely intervention of the SSV Normandy and its crew, the majority of the colony was saved from complete annihilation. In other news, the Systems Alliance colony on the planet Therum has remained out of contact for over two weeks, causing some concern, especially among investors...<p>

* * *

><p>"...I spy with my little eye..."<p>

Ian glanced over from where he was laying down, "Nick, if you finish that, so help me god, I will break your nose."

Nick smirked, looking down at the irate sniper in training, "What? Getting a little irritable?"

Ian looked at Nick incredulously, "Irritable? I'm bored out of my mind! We've been stuck in here for two weeks, we're running low on supplies, those damn Geth are _still_ standing there staring at us; of course I'm getting irritable!"

Nick's smile disappeared, and he nodded, letting out a sigh, "I know, Ian. Trust me, I know. We just have to hold out long enough for Shepard to get here."

Art spoke up from behind the both of them, "Are we even still sure that she's coming?" Ian and Nick both turned to look at Art, giving him a questioning glance. Seeing that, he continued, "What? We haven't heard anything about Eden Prime, we're still stuck down here, to the best of our knowledge, no one from the colony has tried to come help us..."

Nick stepped away from Ian, moving closer to Art, "Hey, relax Art; I'm sure Shepard will show up in no time, and we'll be out of here, off saving the galaxy." With a pat on his shoulder, Nick moved past him further into the structure of the tower. As he walked, Nick ran his hand through his hair, a strange sensation, having used his omni-tool to make a set of cutters, allowing him to shave his hair down to stubble, ridding him of the brown hair that remained, leaving only short silver hair. He thought back through the two weeks they had been trapped inside the Prothean ruins.

They had been ecstatic to find the emergency supplies inside the ruins in case of collapse, giving them all time to be able to take care of themselves without having to fight their way through the Geth, just for food and other supplies. As for passing the time, each of them had continued their training with Kyriash, working on their skills with weapons and combat. It had been much more difficult in the ruins, but they had all made the best of it with what they had. The one small blessing was that they had all been armed and armored, with the exception of Liara, but she had kept her equipment with her in the ruins at the time, just in case of another attack.

For Nick, he had spent plenty of time trying to meditate, working on harnessing his biotics, as well as trying to find a way to communicate with what he believed to be a Prothean consciousness, trapped within his own mind. While his biotics were slowly making progress, evident by the fact he could actually make a crate lift into the air slightly, his progress with the Prothean consciousness had gotten nowhere.

Stepping into the chamber with the inert beacon, Nick saw Liara sitting on the floor, looking at a handful of various artifacts she had collected within the ruins. As she looked up at him, she smiled, "Hello, Nick. Are you feeling well today?"

Nick just shrugged, letting out a sigh, "I'm... decent, I guess."

Her smile faded slightly as Nick moved in front of her, sitting down cross-legged, "Why is that?"

"I'm frustrated, Liara. I'm almost _sure_ that I have a Prothean stuck in my head, but I can't figure out a single way to communicate with it."

Liara's brow ridge furrowed in concentration, before an uncertain look crossed her face, "You're sure you have tried every way possible?"

Nick nodded, looking towards the wall beside the two of them, "Yeah; sleeping, meditating, nothing worked." He let out a sigh, before shrugging, "Oh well. Should we work on biotics, then?"

Liara held up her hand, the strange look still on her face, "Nick, there... may be one option you haven't considered..." Liara began chewing on her bottom lip for a moment, looking away from Nick, before she met his eyes, questioning, "Do you trust me?"

Nick immediately nodded, a confused look on his face, "Of course I do, Liara."

Liara nodded back, her face showing that whatever it was she was considering, she had decided. She looked downward, closing her eyes for a moment, before she looked up at Nick suddenly, her eyes practically flying wide open, both of her eyes a pure black color. "Embrace Eternity!"

In that instant, Nick felt Liara's mind envelop his, her very being and essence swarming his own, and similar to the beacon, a torrent of images went flashing past his mind in a split second. However, the deluge of images suddenly stopped, and Nick found himself standing in the same black abyss, stretching off into infinity. He spun around, looking all around him. "Hello?," he called out.

"I am here, Nick." He spun towards the voice, only to breathe a sigh of relief, seeing Liara standing there. "What is this place?," she asked, looking around at the void surrounding them.

Nick just shrugged, "No idea; this is only my second time here."

Liara spun towards Nick, her gaze questioning, "Your second time?"

He nodded, "Yeah, the first time was when the entity was forced inside of me."

Liara looked at Nick, from head to toe, giving Nick the feeling that he was being examined, not unlike a specimen underneath a microscope. "Inside of you? Hmm..."

Nick watched as Liara began walking around Nick, making him feel more than slightly uncomfortable. As she came back around in front of him, she suddenly shot her hand out, impacting against Nick's chest. Strangely, it didn't knock him back, but went _inside_ of him, and in an instant, Liara was pulling her hand back out, her fingers curled around something... strange, almost translucent. As Liara continued to pull the entity out of him, Nick couldn't help but noticed a sort of tingling sensation pass through him.

Finally, the entity came free, and whisked itself away from them both, moving a few feet away within the mindscape. Within moments, it began to resolve itself, the shapeless entity taking on a vaguely humanoid form. Nick watched, fascinated, as its arms and legs formed, four elongated fingers taking shape from each of the hands, with tentacle-like protrusions stretching out from its face. As it solidified, Nick noted that it had a very feminine shape to it, wearing a deep red robe of some kind, with a narrow torso, and long legs. The Prothean regarded the two of them for a few moments, looking back and forth between the two of them. What caught Nick's attention, however, was its bright orange eyes.

After a few moments of this, it spoke, "_Who are you? Where am I?_"

Nick glanced over at Liara, who's eyes were glued on the Prothean woman. With a sigh, Nick stepped forward, "My name is Nicholas Perry; I'm what is called a Human. You... well, you're inside my mind."

The Prothean scoffed, or at least, Nick assumed that's what it did, "_That is preposterous; I have not initiated any mind-melds since my body was put into cryo storage, and my mind stored in the data capsule to await the end of the Reaper invasion, along with the rest._"

Nick paled, the implications already flying through his mind. "S-so that beacon was... tied into a Prothean data storage unit containing... your mind..." Nick swore under his breath, rubbing his eyes with his hands. "What others are you referring to?"

"_Why, the remaining government left on our planet, as well as the militia and the scientists._"

Nick pressed, "Where?"

The Prothean regarded Nick for a moment, "_They were in other constructs all over the surface of this planet; that was the entire plan, having our bodies stored deep underground, and our consciousnesses stored just above them, hidden._"

Nick turned towards Liara, a questioning look on his face. Liara turned to face him, her own skin a pale color. "Nick... this level was the lowest intact level of the entire ruins. Below it is a long-cooled lava flow..."

"_W-what? What are you talking about?_"

Nick let out another sigh, slowly turning towards the Prothean. "I'm sorry, but if your body was being stored below the chamber your mind was stored, then your body was destroyed, a very long time ago. It's been fifty thousand years since the Reapers came, and they're almost back."

"_S-so where am I?_" Nick could sense the fear and tension emanating from the Prothean; hell, he could see it in the way she was standing.

"You're inside of my mind. The beacon activated when I entered the chamber, and I think it downloaded your consciousness into my body."

The Prothean's eyes grew wide, as she took a shaky step backwards. "_T-that can't be p-possible! It would require extensive genetic rewriting, a remapping of your neural pathways..._"

Nick shrugged, "Well, I did get these orange eyes and silver hair after the beacon did its thing to me."

Nick began to worry slightly, as the Prothean stopped looking panicked, and immediately turned all of her focus onto him, eyes wide with curiosity. She moved closer to him, and began examining him in closer detail. "_Of course... the beacon was programmed to adapt another Prothean's nervous system for my own if my body was unavailable; it was a back-up contingency. But for it to rewrite another _species_ genetic code, as well as remapping your neural pathways... incredible..._"

Nick took an unconscious step back, "Yeah, sure, it's incredible. So now what happens, with you having been... well, pulled out of me?"

The Prothean just shook her head, "_I am unsure; this was something new, separating the consciousness from the body during stasis storage. We had never even considered this possibility. We had very little time for testing and experimenting. After all, the beacon tried to put my consciousness in control of your body, which did not work. Now that we have been separated within your mind, I theorize that I should be able to observe the world through your eyes, and more actively participate through your mind._"

Nick stared at the Prothean, processing what she had just said. "So, let me get this straight; you'll be talking to me in my mind?"

"_It is a distinct possibility._"

Letting out a sigh, Nick began massaging his temples, "Great, just what I need; a voice in my head, telling me what to do." Glancing up at the Prothean, Nick let out another sigh, "Do you at least have a name?"

The Prothean woman bowed slightly, "_My apologies; I am Vis'da'an Dra'ksen, High Templar, and master of the Qui'zal Archives, of which, three of the primary nodes resided here on this planet._"

Nick furrowed his brow in confusion, "And what exactly does that all mean?"

"_As a High Templar, I received many cycles of training as a warrior, as well as honing my skills with what I believe you would call... biotics? In any event, I was given the position of Qui'zal master in my four hundred and fifty third cycle-_"

Nick held his hand up, "Hold on a second; how old are you?"

"_Five hundred and ninety two cycles._"

Liara spoke up, "My apologies, but I am unsure how that would correlate to our current measurement of time; I have found little in my studies of the Protheans to deduce how you measured time."

"_How is it that you measure your time, then?_"

Nick spoke up this time, "Well, I don't know the galactic standard, but on Earth, one full rotation of the planet was considered a day, a full revolution around the sun considered a year, with three hundred sixty five days in a year..." He tapered off, not sure if there was anything else he needed to say.

Vis'da'an stood there, presumably running the math in her head, before she looked up from the ground, speaking, "_Then I am approximately seven hundred twenty three of your years of age._"

Nick tried not to gape openly in shock, when Liara spoke again, sounding quite excited, "How long would the average Prothean life-span have been?"

This time, there was almost no hesitation in her answer, "_Anywhere from fourteen hundred to sixteen hundred of your years. As it was, had the Reapers not arrived when they did, I would have begun searching for a life-mate, and desired to have offspring of my own; but it was not to be, it seems._"

Nick just shook his head, trying not to get a headache as Liara continued bombarding the Prothean with question after question.

* * *

><p>Kyriash sat in a small room on her own, performing what had to be the ten thousandth maintenance check on her weapons, cleaning various parts. If she kept it up, she would likely shine and polish each piece of the gun until it was in more pristine condition than even a new gun. This time, however, she had barely stripped the weapons of their casings, when a voice sounded out from behind her, standing in the doorway. "Hey Kyri."<p>

She looked over her shoulder, only to grin at the sight of Ian, looking down at her. "Hey there, yourself. Care to get a lesson in weapons cleaning? I've done plenty of it the past few days." Ian smirked slightly, but it quickly went away, replaced by a look of slight apprehension. "Is something wrong, Ian?"

Ian let out a sigh, moving into the room with the Turian, and sitting down next to her, cross-legged. "I... well, I'm just trying to wrap my head around... us. I mean, yeah, we cuddled a bit after that sparring match I thought you were going to kill me in, but beyond that, neither of us has really said much about it." Seeing the look on Kyriash's face, Ian elaborated, "Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't want something to come out of this, I really do." He gently lifted a hand to her face, stroking one of her mandibles...then suddenly dropped it, lowering his gaze. "I just don't know where we go next. I mean, even kissing has its risks with the different amino bases, then there's the fact turians have those really long tongues..." His eyes widened slightly. "Not that I'm complaining. God, this conversation is getting more and more awkward by the second..."

Kyriash nodded in understanding, chuckling, her mandibles swaying slightly. "It's fine. I think I know what you mean anyway; if it makes you feel better, I've never been in any sort of relationship with anyone, Turian or otherwise, so this is as much a learning experience for me as it probably is for you."

Ian breathed a sigh of relief, a slight smile coming to his face. "Ok. That's... reassuring." He was quiet for a few moments, before he cleared his throat, "So, I was, um, wondering if, assuming we ever get out of here, you'd like to watch a vid with me? Unless that's too cliché or something, whatever you want..."

Kyriash, feeling a little ornery, tweaked her mandibles slightly, continuing to work with her guns on the floor in front of her, "Oh, I don't know; what kind of vid?"

Ian, beginning to feel somewhat more nervous, continued, "Well, uh, I'm not sure; um, maybe an action vid? You seem like the action type, I guess." He gestured at the pile of weapons on the floor.

The female Turian brought up one hand to her chin in mock thought, looking upwards towards the ceiling, "Well, I might be able to be convinced into such an activity..."

Ian felt his spirits lift, a sense of elation floating through his chest, "R-really?"

Kyriash nodded, a smirk on her face, "Really."

With that, she shifted herself over slightly closer to Ian, and the two of them leaned against each other, Ian content to watch the Turian service her weapons, a subtle spring in the way she moved and worked.

* * *

><p>Art, Brendan and Jocelyn all sat in the main room, the energy field holding the Geth back filling the room with a very quiet, but still noticeable hum. They all sat there, staring at the row of Geth that had stood there since the day they had activated the shield. After a while, Joc spoke up, "What exactly are we doing?"<p>

Art replied, "We're sitting."

Joc rolled her eyes, "Thank you, so _very much_, Art. I gathered that. _Why_ are we just sitting here?"

Brendan, snickering under his breath, replied, "We're waiting for Commander Shepard to show up and rescue us."

Joc turned to face him, a confused look on her face, "Why would she do that?"

Art beat Brendan to the chase in explaining, "Because she'll be coming for Liara. Liara's mother is working with Saren, so they'll come both for the fact that Liara is an expert in Protheans, and for the fact that they find out that the Geth are trying to get her. So that's why we're waiting for Shepard."

Joc nodded, seemingly satisfied. After a few more minutes, however, she had another question for the duo. "Do male Asari look similar to female Asari?" Brendan and Art both laughed a bit, grinning widely, much to Joc's chagrin. "What? What's so funny?"

Art responded, "What you just said is funny, Joc. There aren't any male Asari; they're all female."

Joc's brow furrowed, and she began to scratch her head, "How would that even work?"

Brendan took over explaining for Art, "Well, the way the Asari reproduce is by mind-melding with another being, either Asari or otherwise; they then unconsciously scramble a portion of their own DNA based off of the partner's DNA, allowing for genetic diversification to take place. So essentially all Asari can reproduce with anyone or anything, male or female."

Joc nodded, thinking to herself for a moment. "So what does Liara being with Nick do to the timeline here?"

Art and Brendan both looked at each other, their faces expressionless, before Art turned back to Joc, "You know, I hadn't really considered that much. In the story, there was the possibility of Shepard romancing Liara or one of two other crew members, depending on whether Shepard was a male or a female. With Liara being with Nick, I think that would only leave the one crewman 'available' for Shepard to romance."

Brendan cut in before he could say anything else, "Or so would be the case, if this were the game. _But _since this isn't the game, there's always the chance of an early romancing from the second game, but happening two years early."

Art looked over at Brendan, and seeing the look on his face, straightened his back, holding his hands out towards Brendan, shaking his head, "Oh no, we are so not pushing that along."

Joc looked between the two of them, confused. "What? What are you talking about?"

Art turned to the girl, "Brendan's suggesting we try to get Shepard to buddy up with Garrus, the Normandy's resident Turian!"

Brendan nudged Art's shoulder, "Admit it, it would be better for both of them in the long run! And that way Shepard wouldn't get her heart broken on Horizon by the douche bag!"

Joc scooted herself so that she was between the two of them, "How about you two just let Shepard make her own choices? God, you're still talking about her like she's some video game character to manipulate on a screen."

Art and Brendan hung their heads slightly, ashamed of still thinking about Shepard as a game character instead of a person. Before either of them could say anything more, however, the Geth, for the first time in two weeks, all turned away from the force field, bringing their guns up, moving into the cave system.

Joc spoke up, the uncertainty clear in her voice, "Uh, what does that mean?"

Art and Brendan both stood up, pulling out their guns. "It means she's here." Art turned towards Brendan, "You stay here, and wait for Shepard; I'm going to go get the others."

With that, Art took off running, heading into the structure, running as fast as his legs would carry him.

* * *

><p>Ian and Kyriash both jumped as they heard footsteps rapidly approaching. Kyriash quickly scooped up her guns, just as Art stopped himself in the doorway to the room, panting. "Guys, the Geth just all moved away. I think Shepard's here."<p>

Ian stood up, "Are you sure?"

Art rolled his eyes at him, "No, I think the Geth decided they all wanted to go have a tea party. _Yes I'm fucking sure!_"

Ian grabbed his own guns, lying off to the side on the ground. "What about Nick and Liara? Did you go get them yet?"

Art shook his head, "No, I'm heading there next. You two just get to the shield room with Brendan and Joc!"

Before Ian or Kyriash could say anything, Art spun around, taking off out of the room. He began to wheeze as he ran, not quite being used to the long amount of running. He quickly rounded the corner, and came to a stop in the doorway of the room containing the beacon. His eyes grew wide, zeroing in on the two figures sitting on the floor, the Asari's eyes a pure black color, while the Human's eyes were pure orange.

"Uh..." He stood there for a few moments, before taking a few steps closer, crouching down to about the same level the two were sitting on the floor. "I don't know if you guys can hear me, but we think Shepard's here."

* * *

><p>The three of them all glanced around the mind-space, hearing the disembodied voice that seemed to emanate from all around them. Nick turned to Liara, "If Shepard's actually here, then we need to end this mind meld now."<p>

Vis'da'an held up a hand, "_Wait, what about me?_"

Nick and Liara glanced at each other, Liara noting the helpless look on Nick's face. "I don't know; we can't know, not until we end the mind meld, and just see what happens." The Prothean seemed as though she were going to argue the point, but after a moment, she just nodded her assent. Nick turned back to Liara, "Ok, I don't know how this works, so you're going to have to end the meld. Ok?"

Liara nodded, and closed her eyes. In a few moments, the abyss around them seemed to shimmer and dissipate, turning into a pitch black void. For an instant, Nick felt as though he were being suffocated, but the feeling quickly passed, leaving Nick sitting on the floor of the room, face to face with Liara. He opened his eyes, looking straight into Liara's eyes, and he waited for a moment, sitting there. He didn't have to wait long.

"_This is a truly strange sensation, to be able to sense everything about your body; sight, sound, touch, but not to be the one in control of the body._"

Nick just smirked, subtly nodding his head. Liara furrowed her brow ridge slightly, but Nick just shook his head at her. Quickly standing up, Nick turned to Art, "All right, then, Art; lead the way."

Art looked between Nick and Liara, a confused look on his face, but he shook it off, leading the two of them back to the main shield room. The three of them ran, trying to make it back as quickly as possible.

As they ran, Art glanced over his shoulder towards Nick, "So, any ideas as to why everything seems to be happening a couple months too soon?"

Nick nodded as best he could while running, "Yeah, I do; Hudson fucked his dates up, and we showed up two months later than he expected."

Liara's confusion was evident in her voice, "But how could he have made a mistake like that?"

Nick replied, "Easy; he was dealing with a wormhole between to alternate dimensions. It's actually quite the feat that he was even able to get us here at all, much less right at a time where we could be of some use."

The conversation was cut short as the three of them entered the shield room, just as gunfire permeated the whole room, echoing between the walls. Nick ran up to the shield, breathing heavily, looking out through the translucent energy field. As he looked, he saw three armored figures on the opposite side of the cavern, fighting their way through the Geth in the area. He also noticed the Geth were focusing completely on the three figures, and not a single one of them were looking back at the energy field. Nick spun around, and quickly spoke to the group assembled.

"Alright guys, get your guns ready; Liara, when I say, I want you to shut down the force field. Everyone else, prepare to open fire on those Geth." Nick paused a moment, letting everyone get into position. He turned toward the force field, and after waiting two heartbeats, called out, "Now!"

In an instant, the force field shut down, letting the seven of them rush out onto the ramp in front of the Prothean ruins, all of them taking cover behind its metal guard rail, and opening fire on the Geth. Seven weapons trained onto seven separate Geth, taking down their shields before they could even figure out where the incoming fire was originating from. As the first seven Geth were perforated repeatedly, the remaining twelve or so hesitated, unsure of which group was the larger threat. The hesitation proved to be lethal, as the three armed figures on the opposite side of the cavern immediately began rushing the Geth, taking out their cover from beneath them.

Nick couldn't help but smirk, lining his sights up on the glowing head of one of the Geth, squeezing the trigger to his sniper rifle, the gun launching its high velocity round straight through the light, dropping the Geth to the ground. Realizing that the gunfire had dropped off, Nick stood up, and glancing around the cavern, realized that the fight was over. His eyes were immediately drawn to the group slowly walking towards them, guns still out, but held at ease. Nick was instantly familiar with the center figure, a woman in grey armor with a crimson stripe down her right arm, a small N7 emblem on her chest, just below her shoulder. Coming closer, she was the first to speak.

"We're here looking for Liara T'soni; who are you people?"

Nick took a slight step forward, closer to the edge of the platform, "We're Liara's team; both archaeology and security; who might you be?"

The woman didn't seem bothered in the slightest by the question. "I'm Commander Shepard, Spectre. Our briefing didn't say anything about Liara having any kind of 'team' with her, especially not one made up for combat, or comprised of humans... or a Turian," she added, noticing Kyriash standing there next to Ian.

Nick just shrugged, "We were just here as archaeology interns at first, but after a recent pirate attack, we hired Kyriash over there to help train us in combat."

Looking closer at Nick, Shepard took a few steps forward, her eyes narrowed. "Why are your eyes orange?"

Nick let out a sigh, not really wanting to spill his secret, but not having a whole lot of choice, replied, "We found a Prothean beacon in there; it decided it didn't like my original eye or hair color when it mind-raped me."

Shepard's eyes widened, the surprise evident on her face. "You managed to survive through a beacon message with your mind intact?"

Nick nodded, a half smirk evident, "Yeah, something like that."

The man next to Shepard, instantly recognizable as Kaidan Alenko, spoke up, "Hold on; if there's a beacon in there, why hasn't anyone heard about it?"

Nick, not feeling like being interrogated on the subject, raised an eyebrow. "I'll give you a hint; it's black, smarter than your toaster, and tries to kill people." At his slightly confused stare, Liara took a step forward, and decided to take pity on him.

"The Geth trapped us here before we could even leave the caverns to inform anyone of our discovery."

Shepard shifted her focus to the Asari, "Liara T'soni?"

Liara nodded, "Yes?"

Shepard laid out her business immediately, "We came here to find you; there has been some dealings going on with a rogue spectre, involving both the Protheans and your mother, Matriarch Benezia. We're going to have to ask you to come with us."

Before Liara could respond, Nick stepped up next to the Asari, "Liara doesn't go anywhere unless we all go with her."

Shepard's gaze turned slightly harder at that, as she met Nick's glare, her brown eyes meeting Nick's bright orange eyes. "I'm not sure I can acquiesce to that kind of request."

Nick gripped the stock of his sniper rifle slightly, "It's not a request."

Shepard opened her mouth to respond, when Kaidan turned to her, and spoke to her in a quieter voice, but just loud enough to Nick to make out. "Shepard, they all look like capable fighters; and if he's telling the truth about interacting with the beacon, Saren could find out about him, and try to take him, to see what he may have learned from a fully operational beacon." Kaidan glanced at the group, his gaze quickly passing over them all, before he turned back to Shepard, "Besides, if we try to stiff arm our way through this, I don't think it will end well for us; they outnumber us, and they have the high ground."

The third figure, a Krogan, added in his two cents, "The Human with orange eyes seems to have some fire in him." Wrex smirked, a mischievous glint visible in his eye, "I wouldn't mind giving him a run for his money."

Shepard sighed, obviously not entirely willing to back down, and turned back up towards Nick, "What is it you want?"

Nick shook his head, "We don't want anything from you; we're not mercenaries. But where Liara goes, we go."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, staring at Nick for a long minute. Finally, she let out another sigh, her shoulders sagging slightly, "Fine. But the first sign of problems, and you're _all _off my ship."

Nick nodded, "That's acceptable." Nick opened his mouth to say more, when he caught motion out of the corner of his eye. Turning to look, he saw a lone Geth, heavily damaged, standing by the other elevator, tinkering with some kind of device. In an instant, there was a bright flash, emanating from the device, followed by a roaring thunder. Nick's eyes widened, watching what had to be a bomb detonate on the far side of the cavern, causing the ceiling to begin to cave inward, the falling debris moving rapidly towards them.

* * *

><p>AN: I know you all hate/despise cliff-hangars; I usually do too when I read a story. Thing is, it usually ensures that most of you come _back_ to keep reading.


	12. Chapter 12 Surprise Of The Century

A/N: a note to all readers; how did the group know Shepard was a woman? Go back and reread chapter 6. It's a few paragraphs from the top.

(*)(*)(*)Ok, really biggie: for the past eleven chapters, I have _completely_ forgot to give credit to my Beta reader, iN3ctioNZ, for helping me with this story since chapter 2. Thank you, thank you, _thank you, **THANK YOU!**_ Ok... now that I've got _that_ out of my system, you can read the story now.(*)(*)(*)

FuckingTypo: EDI and Legion took the ship out of the system that Therum is in, to hide it. That's why.

Greed11: you bring up an excellent point. That being said, that's why there's a three week interlude between their arrival and their making aboard the Normandy with a Turian to train them how to _use_ said guns.

Dagger5001: in Liara's timeline, she could have only disappeared for a second or two; that being said, that doesn't mean that the Hudson from Nick & Co.'s Earth was exactly correct in his estimate of where in the timeline Liara came from.

Dreaded-DeathX: Prepare; surprise in this chapter. Yeah, the Emily Wong bits are fun to write, to give an idea of the "ripples" they're making in the "pond" that is the timeline with their interference. Plot planning... yeah... um... right... _Anyways,_ yeah, I will be having some fun with Vis'da'an. That's the whole point. Especially with the Prothean stuck in his head being a female templar warrior of sorts, over 700 years old.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 12

Watching the falling rocks for a split second, Nick yelled down to Shepard, Kaidan, and Wrex, "Up here! The ruins should be stable enough to survive the collapse!" As the three of them began running towards the ramp leading into the ruins, Nick turned to the others, "Let's move it guys, into the ruins!"

No one argued or spoke, as they all turned, running back into the ruins, Nick waiting, letting the others in his group pass him, entering the structure. As soon as he crossed the threshold of the ancient door behind the rest of his group, he stopped and turned, watching to make sure Shepard's squad made it inside. Liara stopped next to him, her hands working the Prothean control panel beside him. She spoke as she worked, "Nick, we have to activate the force field to stop the debris from entering this chamber before we get the elevator operational!"

Nick turned, and gently nudged Liara aside, "I've got this. Watch and tell me when they're all through!"

Nick's hands moved across the terminal feverishly, trying his hardest to prepare the shields on every door on the tower except the top-most level. He spared a glance, only to feel his pulse nearly double, seeing the rushing wall of rock debris coming straight for them. He inputted commands into the console as quickly as he could, trying to tune out the sounds of the crushing rock all around them.

Another glance allowed Nick to watch as Shepard ran in, the last one to enter the tower, having stayed behind slightly to ensure her team entered the tower. As soon as she was clear, Nick slammed his fist into the controls, the force field activating, just as the wall of rushing and falling rocks pummeled into the shield and structure, causing the tower around them to shake and groan, violently, nearly throwing everyone to the floor. Nick struggled to stay on his feet, trying his best to move towards the center of the tower structure. "Everyone to the elevator!," he cried out, trying to get them all to move.

As Nick stepped on, he spun around, watching the rest of the group, shaking his head slightly as he realized that Wrex was the only one who didn't seem particularly bothered by the shifting of the floor beneath him. The entire group with Nick made it to the elevator, Art lagging behind the rest slightly, panting hard. Nick spun towards Shepard's group, only for his eyes to widen, just as Kaidan fell to the ground, impacting his head onto the floor with a sickening crack, audible even over the roar of the earth around them.

Without thinking, Nick practically flew out of the elevator, running towards Kaidan's struggling form, blood dripping from his forehead and nose. Nick reached him, just as the tremors began to increase in intensity, causing Nick to nearly lose his own balance. He could vaguely make out yelling from behind him, but Nick pushed that to the back of his mind, focusing on Kaidan, hoisting his half-limp form up, slinging one of his arms around his neck, noting his eyes rolling back into his head, a sure sign of some kind of head injury. Glancing at the force field, Nick nearly passed out; he could make out the telltale orange glow of molten magma beginning to seep between the rocks, flattening against the force field.

*_I believe it would be prudent for you to hurry, Nick!_* Nick just grimaced to himself, mostly ignoring Vis'da'an's comment as he walk-carried Kaidan to the elevator, as quickly as he could manage, Kaidan hobbling as best as he could.

"Kid... j-just leave me..." Nick heard Kaidan mutter aloud, even while practically dragging him. "You won't all make it out of here in time c-carrying me..."

Nick stopped momentarily, before grunting, throwing Kaidan over his back in a fireman carry. "Not a chance in hell, big boy; nobody gets left behind." Nick tried his best to ignore the soldier's grunt of pain as he hefted him up bodily, lifting him into a fireman's carry.

Once Nick reached the edge of the elevator, he practically threw Kaidan to the nearest set of open arms, collapsing himself onto all fours from the effort of carrying Kaidan's body the distance into the elevator. He vaguely noticed the elevator started lifting almost as soon as he was aboard. He was barely given more than a moment on the ground before he felt two different people lift him up by his arms, supporting him long enough to regain his own balance.

As Nick looked up, he found himself staring directly into Shepard's eyes, a blank look on her face, her eyes void of emotion. "Why did you go back for him? You could have risked everyone here with that stunt."

Nick glared at her, fire lighting up in his orange eyes, "Because no one gets left behind, consequences be damned. Isn't that the marine creed?"

Shepard didn't say anything more, but simply turned away from him, her attention moving to Kaidan. A moment later, Liara shuffled up next to Nick, her eyes wide, "I cannot believe that you risked your life to save his life, Nick. I was afraid something would have happened once you jumped off the platform."

Nick shrugged, a smirk coming to his face, "Nah; it was nothing. After all, you can't have a good escape from danger without a death-defying rescue." His smirk faltered slightly as Liara glared at him, but he pushed away his discomfort, and smiled broadly, "Hey, relax. It's ok, Liara; he's ok, I'm ok, and once we get off this rock, we'll all be safe."

Nick gave her another smile, as well as a squeeze of her shoulder, reassuring her. His good mood would have stayed in place, were it not for a reminder of the voice in his head, *_I feel I must make mention to remind you that there are __**two**__ of us in here now; it would befit you to not forget that._*

Nick rolled his eyes, turning towards the elevator wall so no one else could see his facial expressions, his thoughts acting as a medium of conversation between himself and Vis'da'an. *Hey, you just worry about spotting things I might miss; not back-seat driving my body. It was my body before you showed up, and I've been doing a spectacular job so far.*

Vis'da'an snickered, *_I did not mean to imply that you haven't; I simply felt it necessary to remind you of my presence, and my current desire to stay among the world of the living, even trapped within your mind. It is most... fascinating._*

Nick raised an eyebrow, *Oh? How exactly is it fascinating to you?*

*_Well, there seems to be something between you and the Asari..._*

Nick's brow furrowed in confusion, *Yeah, sure; she's my friend.*

Vis'da'an snickered again, *_I believe there is more to it than that._*

Nick would have come up with some kind of response, but the elevator finally cleared the top floor, coming to a halt with a loud clanking noise. Just as they all began to step off, the power failed within the tower, dropping it into darkness. With a flick of his wrist, his omni-tool activated, and he quickly activated the flashlight, lighting the entire cavernous space up. Shepard spoke up immediately, taking charge, "Ok everyone, let's get moving; double time it!"

Nick again took position with Kaidan, helping to carry him with Ian. As a whole, the entire group began running, dodging the falling debris of the cave, all the while trying to escape. He quickly noticed the rapidly rising temperatures, and a quick glance behind him showed him a column of magma rising from out of the Prothean tower from the inside out, the elevator shaft acting as an artificial magma chamber.

Nick increased his speed, and spoke aloud, "Run faster Ian; the magma's getting closer!"

Ian glanced over at him, "Don't you mean lava?"

Nick shook his head, shifting his arm slightly as they continued carrying Kaidan, "Nah, it's magma; it doesn't become lava until its above ground-"

Art turned his head, continuing to run, "Less talking, more running!"

Before either Ian or Nick could respond, Kaidan's weight was lifted from their shoulders suddenly. Both of them turned in time to see Wrex launch himself from between the two of them, carrying Kaidan over one shoulder, his head lolling against the Krogan's armored hump. "You both move too slow." Nick bit back a curse, opting instead to continue running. Nick found it harder and harder to run as the tunnels began to become much steeper, narrowing to the circular drill-holes that made up the singular entrance to the ruins. He could feel the heat radiating from the tunnels below, using the tunnel as a chimney chute to vent.

He ran for what felt like an eternity, wave after wave of heat blasting against the back of his armor, and Nick could feel the muscles in his legs cramping up from the exertion. Finally, he could see the end of the tunnel, and he smiled, pushing himself even harder to run for the exit, just as much as everyone else was. He barely even noticed Art lagging behind him slightly, with Ian well ahead of him, Brendan and Joc both slightly ahead of him, Liara next to him, and the others already at the exit of the tunnel.

Nick gasped as he reached the mouth of the hole, bursting forth into the relatively fresh air of the volcanic world, the air temperature around him dropping easily fifteen degrees. Laughing, Nick turned towards Art, who exited just behind him. "Whew... I never thought... I'd be happy... to be back... out here..."

Shepard snapped everyone back to reality, "We have to get out of here; the ground beneath us isn't stable." Just as she finished speaking, a roaring noise could be heard, bringing the sight of the SR-1 Normandy into view, the graceful and sleek ship maneuvering around a rock formation, lowering down towards the ground as it slowed, its cargo bay doors already opening up. Nick, feeling his left leg severely cramping up, began limping towards the approaching ramp, not wanting to remain on Therum any longer. The others all rushed past him, running and jogging at various speeds.

Nick stepped onto the ramp, with Art being the only one still trying to get onto the ship. He turned around, a slight smile on his face, waiting for the Art to make it aboard the Normandy. His smile, however, disappeared in an instant, as the rocks just at the base of the ramp suddenly began breaking apart, sinking into a pool of lava, the rocks on all sides of the hole sinking in as well. He looked up at Art, and saw the panicked look in his eyes, the look of imminent demise evident.

Without even thinking, Nick extended his hand, his entire arm being wrapped in a blue aura, gesturing towards Art. With a flick of his wrist, Art's body was immediately flung into the air, just as the rocks beneath where he had been standing sank into the lava pool. His eyes squinted, as he focused all of his energy into the biotic field holding Art above the hot, fiery pool of liquid death. With a grunt of exertion, He yanked his arm back, causing Art to be bodily launched into the cargo bay, colliding directly into Nick's sagging form, dropping the both of them to the floor.

Nick, with Art's body pinning him to the ground, simply laid there as he felt the energy rush out of his body from the effort it had taken to use his biotics like he had. He dimly remembered that he had never been able to do that before.

*_Do not worry; I aided you in saving your friend's life. You have great potential with your biotics; you must simply learn control._*

Not really feeling like discussing his biotics with the voice in his head, Nick simply sighed, as Art shifted off of him, still shaking slightly from the adrenaline-fueled panic. "J-J-Jesus C-Christ on a p-p-pikestaff!" Art spun slowly on the floor, turning to face Nick, his eyes still wide, "Y-you saved me!"

He wearily smirked, "Yeah... I did..." With that, Nick dropped his head onto the deck, staring up at the ceiling as spots swam through his vision, the blood trying to pump through his body and keep his brain oxygenized. A moment later, however, he felt two sets of arms wrap around him. Glancing down, he saw Art hugging him mid-torso, laughing, as well as Liara, her arms wrapped around his neck.

Nick felt Liara speak into his neck as much as he heard her, "Nick, you could have hurt yourself with a stunt like that!"

He shrugged, staring back up at the ceiling, "Yeah, but it beats the hell out of leaving a friend to die."

After a minute or two of silently lying there, Art and Liara shifted, pulling their arms away, allowing him to finally sit up. Glancing around, he noticed that Shepard was standing above him, looking down at him, staring. "That was a risky stunt you just pulled." After a moment, her serious façade cracked, allowing a smirk through, "Nice job, kid; wouldn't have pegged you for a biotic, though."

He shrugged, then pulled himself onto his feet, "Yeah, funny thing about that; being more than meets the eye."

Shepard nodded, then continued, "You saved a member of my crew; for that, you have my thanks." She hesitated a split second, but then extended her hand, a look of apprehension on her face. Nick smiled, and took her hand, the two of them shaking. After a moment, she pulled her hand away, and continued, "Speaking of which, I believe Kaidan was asking to see you once you were allowed access to the ship as our doctor was hauling him to the med-bay."

With a nod, Nick replied, "Sure, so long as you don't have any problem with it, I'll head-"

"_What are you doing here?_" All heads immediately spun around, looking at Garrus as he fumed at Kyriash, the female Turian suddenly looking extremely uncomfortable, looking at a spot on the floor with all of her focus and attention.

Nick watched as Ian stepped over to Kyriash's side, looking at Garrus, "You know Kyriash?"

Garrus's brow plates furrowed momentarily in confusion, before his face took on what Nick assumed was anger and rage, mandibles flaring, his gaze turning back to the opposite Turian, "Kyriash, is it? That's the name you've been going by? By the spirits, what are you _doing _all the way out here?"

Kyriash lifted her head, meeting Garrus's gaze levelly, her own eyes ablaze with fury, mandibles quivering, "What do you really care? It's not like you were ever home when it _mattered!_"

Garrus opened his mouth to respond, when Shepard stepped up in front of Garrus, her stance broaching no arguments. "Garrus, what's going on here? You know her?"

Garrus clicked his talons together, his mandibles pressed firmly against his face, as he tried to calm himself to address the commander. "Yes, Shepard, I do know her." His gaze turned towards Ian, "Her name is _not_ Kyriash." He paused for a moment as he turned back towards Shepard, "Her name is Solana Vakarian; she's my sister."

The entire cargo hold was as silent as a tomb; a pin drop could have been heard as loud as thunder, though with the tension levels within the hold, the possibility of lightning striking was becoming more and more likely. Ian looked as though he had been physically struck, his eyes wide, jaw hanging. After what felt like an eternity, Ian managed to find his voice. "Y-your _sister?_" Ian turned towards the female Turian, "Kyri... what the fuck? When were you planning on telling me?"

Kyriash, or rather, Solana, simply looked down towards the ground, her mandibles quivering slightly, "It's Solana, now, Ian. You're going to have to get used to that, now that _he's _here."

Garrus ignored Ian, turning back towards Solana. "What are you doing out here, hmm? You were supposed to be home!"

The other Turian scoffed at him, "Just as much as you are! While you're out gallivanting around, trying to play _hero,_ I'm out here trying to make a living! You know, credits? Those little things we need to survive?"

Before Garrus could reply, Shepard cleared her throat rather pointedly, catching the attention of both Turians. "As curious as I may be, this is a discussion best had away from the crew. Garrus, take your sister to the comm. room; I'll give you fifteen minutes." Shepard turned to the rest of the group, her eyes passing over everyone else, one at a time, "The rest of you, we'll meet in the comm. room in sixteen minutes for debrief and sit-rep." With that, Shepard walked out of the cargo bay, stepping into the elevator.

Vis'da'an couldn't help but speak up, as Nick watched Shepard leave. *_I would be wary of that one, Nicholas; she is a warrior, but a scarred one. Take heed of my advice, and do not antagonize her._*

Nick mentally shuddered, *I'm not sure if that's possible, Vis. You saw the way she was ready to sacrifice Kaidan, just for the rest of us. If she's that nonchalant about her closest allies' lives, then I fear for any innocent civilians that may fall because of her drive to simply 'get the job done.'*

With that, Nick moved to head for the elevator, but a familiar sounding voice caught his attention, "Whoa, what's with the hair?"

Nick turned, only to come face to face with a woman in blue fatigues, light brown hair, and a smirk that quickly turned to a look of surprise once she saw his eyes. Nick smirked back, amused by her surprise, "Oh, you know, after a good brain-rape from a Prothean beacon, I just felt like I needed a change." He extended his hand, "I'm Nick."

The woman extended her hand in return, shaking, "The name's Ashley. Did you color your eyes?"

Nick shook his head, his smirk fading slightly, "Not so much; this seems to be the side affect of my rather... unique encounter with a Prothean beacon that was in those ruins."

Ashley nodded, seemingly intrigued, "Huh. That sounds interesting. Amazing thing, that the beacon didn't completely destroy your mind."

His smirk returned, "Eh, not so much. After all, you can't break something that didn't work in the first place." After a moment, Ashley caught on to his joke, and they both started laughing. Once Nick started to calm down, he continued, "Anyways, I'm going to head up and visit Kaidan before the briefing, see how he's doing."

Ashley nodded, "Alright. I'll talk to you later, then. Assuming you're staying on the ship."

"Yeah, we're all staying." With that, Nick turned and walked towards the elevator, oblivious to the suspicious look coming from the sole Asari in the cargo hold, shifting between himself and the female marine.

* * *

><p>Nick noticed the hint of antiseptic as he stepped into the med-bay, scrunching his nose slightly at the smell. It took all of Nick's will-power not to gape as he had walked through the ship, thinking back to the game where he had seen it often enough to memorize almost every detail, the med-bay being no exception. The only woman in the room, older, with shots of grey through her light colored hair, looked up as he entered, her brow furrowing slightly. "Hello; who might you be?"<p>

Nick stepped forward, extending his hand, "The name's Nick; Nicholas Perry."

The woman returned the handshake, "Ah, yes; Kaidan mentioned you. I'm doctor Chakwas. I take it you're here to visit the lieutenant?"

Nick nodded, "I was told he wanted to talk to me."

The doctor smiled slightly, "Yes, it would seem that he would like to express some of his gratitude for your saving his life." After a short pause, the doctor continued, "Also, since you're here, and I assume you and your friends will be staying aboard the Normandy, would you be willing to let me examine you? Just a small blood sample and a quick scan to ensure that there is nothing wrong with you."

Nick smiled slightly, a corner of his lips twitching upward, "Sure." With that, he stepped forward, sitting down on the bed next to Kaidan, the other man simply watching the exchange, an IV inserted into his arm, a patch of medigel on his forehead. Nick began to remove the armor from his arm, looking down at the lieutenant. "So, feeling better?"

Kaidan chuckled softly, before coughing a bit at the action. "Y-yeah, you could say that. Still a bit sore; the doc's got me grounded for the next mission or two, though, so I don't injure myself any further. Apparently I have a minor concussion, along with a hairline fracture of my skull."

Nick winced slightly, "Sorry about that."

Kaidan raised an eyebrow, curious, "For what?"

Nick shrugged, setting the last of the armor down, leaving his arm exposed, "If we had been smarter, or hadn't been down in those ruins when the Geth showed up, we could have actually escaped from there, or at the very least, managed to make it to the colony. Then those ruins wouldn't have been destroyed, and you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

Kaidan struggled, but managed to sit up, ignoring Chakwas's protests, "Kid, don't start worrying about the 'what ifs;' they'll drive you absolutely crazy. Just worry about next time, all right?"

Nick nodded, then winced as the doctor inserted the needle into his arm. "Don't worry, Nick, this will only take a moment- *gasp* what in the heavens...?" Nick's head spun sharply towards the needle as the doctor quickly pulled it out, only for his heart to drop at the sight; the syringe was filled with bright blue blood, doctor Chakwas staring at it with wide eyes. There was an incredibly long, awkward silence that fell over the med-bay, as all eyes in the room were on the syringe. Finally, Chakwas looked up at Nick, a questioning gaze, "What is this?"

Nick, his eyes as wide as the doctors, shook his head slowly. "I... I'm not sure." He looked back between the doctor and Kaidan, confusion evident on his face.

Chakwas stood there for another moment or two, before moving suddenly, towards one of the myriad of pieces of equipment within the med-bay. As she inserted the syringe into the equipment, starting it to do something with his blood, she brought up her omni-tool, speaking into it, "Commander Shepard, could you come to the med-bay, please?" Closing her omni-tool, she turned to Nick, "Could you please just remain in here for the time being?"

Nick nodded, leaning back on the bed, "Uh, sure." Nick looked down, confused, leaning against the wall, holding his bare arm against his chest. The doctor watched him for a few moments, before moving over closer to him, putting a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up at her.

"You didn't know about this, did you?" Nick merely shook his head, his eyes betraying his confusion and fear. After a moment, she pulled her hand away, "If it's all right with you, I'd like to scan your body, to see if there's anything else... different... about you."

Nick wordlessly shifted, lying down on the bed, feeling the gaze from Kaidan next to him, as the doctor maneuvered a piece of equipment over his body, the apparatus powering up and running a beam of light across his body. While he laid there, Kaidan spoke to him, "Hey kid, didn't you say that you had an encounter with a Prothean beacon?"

Nick responded, trying his hardest not to move, "Yeah."

Kaidan fell silent for a few moments, before continuing, "Do you think it may have done something to you?"

Nick's response came out as little more than a whisper, his body visibly trembling, albeit slightly, "I don't know."

The room fell into silence, as the two scanners worked, both on the sample and on Nick himself. After a few minutes, the door to the med-bay opened, Shepard walking in. Seeing Nick lying on the bed under the scanner, her gaze turned to Chakwas, questioning, "Doctor? What's going on?"

Chakwas waved her over to the wall scanner. Shepard stepped over, and looked at the small vial containing the blue liquid, Nick's blood. "I started my examination of Nick for standard medical precautions, but when I drew a sample of his blood, this is what came out." Shepard's head immediately spun around, her eyes boring into Nick's form on the bed, still under the scanner. "I'm scanning him to see what else might be out of the ordinary."

Shepard stepped closer to the doctor, her voice low, "Is he Human? Is he a threat to the ship?"

The doctor quickly responded, "No, I doubt he's a threat. As to whether he's Human... I don't honestly know. Once his blood is done processing, we'll be able to find out." Shepard turned to walk towards Nick's bed, but Chakwas gently places her hand on her shoulder, stopping her momentarily. "Be gentle with him, Shepard; this was as much as a surprise for him as it was for me. I would be amazed if he wasn't in shock right now, lying there."

Shepard gave a single nod, and moved next to Nick's bed, looking down at him. After a moment, he sensed her presence, and opened his eyes, looking up at her, his eyes unusually void of emotion. "I'm a freak, now, aren't I?"

Shepard's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Why do you ask a question like that?"

Nick let out a snort, rolling his eyes, "My hair is white when it used to be brown, my eyes are _orange_, and my blood is blue instead of red; god only knows what else is wrong with me. How could I be anything other than some kind of freak of nature now?"

Shepard looked down at him for a few moments before speaking, "I don't know what to tell you, Nick."

She opened her mouth to say more, when the wall scanner beeped, displaying it's results. Glancing over, Shepard saw Chakwas move to the scanner, and she read the results. Her drink, moving towards her mouth, stopped halfway as she read, eventually slipping from her grasp, falling to the floor, before hitting the floor, spewing coffee across the floor, a clanking noise echoing through the med-bay.

* * *

><p>The entire ground team sat inside the comm. room, six of the seven seats claimed, the center seat left open for the commander. Liara sat in her own seat, looking around at the rest of the group, her own sense of unease growing with each passing moment. She turned to Ian, standing next to her, "Do you not think that Nick should have arrived before now?"<p>

Ian nodded, shifting his feet nervously, "Yeah, he should have; and it's unnerving to know that he's not here yet."

Liara paused, before continuing, "It is also strange, that the doctor called the commander away before we could even begin the briefing session." When Ian didn't respond, Liara continued, "You do not think that it could have something to do with Nick, do you?"

Before he could reply, the door opened, allowing Commander Shepard to re-enter the room. Her eyes fell on the group that had came aboard the ship with Nick, including Liara. She moved closer to them, as the whole room fell silent. She stopped in front of Liara, "Nick interacted with a beacon; was there anything else unusual? Anything different than a standard beacon?"

Liara stared up at the spectre for a few moments, trying to decide what to say, when Art spoke up, "What difference would that make?"

Shepard merely glanced over at him, "More than you might think." She turned back to Liara, her eyes boring through the Asari, "What was different?"

Liara took a deep breath, before letting it out, speaking, "Yes, there was something different. There was some kind of sphere, floating in place next to the beacon. When the device took Nick up into it, it not only downloaded information into his mind, but an arch of energy of some kind moved across his body, a second arch of energy stayed focused on his head, and a third arch of energy passed between the sphere and the beacon. During the whole process, the sphere began to change, as though it were losing its energy somehow."

Ashley spoke up from across the room, "Wait; so you're saying that this thing was some kind of Prothean battery or something?"

Liara looked confused, "I am unsure as to what a 'battery' is, but whatever it was, it interacted with him on a physical level as much as it did a mental level. Though since the change, aside from his hair and his eyes, the only things that I've noticed out of the ordinary is that he's been able to progress much faster with his biotics."

Shepard had a thought to share with that, "You mean he's a biotic, but he's never been trained how to use them?"

Liara shook her head, "No, he has not. I have been helping to teach him."

Shepard let out a sigh, and turned away from Liara, slowly moving towards the center of the room. When she spoke next, she spoke to everyone in the room. "I just came from the med-bay; doctor Chakwas was in the process of examining Nick when I got there, and we made some interesting discoveries."

When Shepard didn't elaborate, Liara asked, "What kind of discoveries?"

Shepard turned towards the Asari with a neutral expression, "I don't know how, I don't know why; Nick is half-Prothean."

* * *

><p>AN: Well, this could be interesting, indeed...


	13. Chapter 13 Product Placement

A/N: Ok, sorry for the delay; it seems that, being summer, and not having any set schedule (no job yet) makes it really difficult to just sit down and write. Again, thanks be to my beta reader, iNf3ctioNZ.

Dygen Entreri: yeah, I know this isn't like my original ITF. Honestly, I think this one is much better. So if anything, this will become the actual Into the Fire, and I'll just change the name of the old one or something. I'm trying desperately not to make Nick seem omnipotent or overpowered or anything. As for the Tali thing; well, it would be awkward to have three or four SI's all going for the same romance character, wouldn't you agree?

ArchAngelGundam: No new big plot twists yet, but just you wait; I have _so_ much planned for later on...

Archerstar: I live for plot twists. And yes, Ian will be dreading that talk with Garrus.

FuckingTypo: not really; Ashley doesn't trust aliens, but mostly Turians, especially after the first contact war. However, Nick started out Human, and this was forced on him; he didn't exactly _try_ to become an alien hybrid. Besides, the Protheans are extinct, not really any threat to humanity.

Dreaded-DeathX: yeah, the funny thing is I don't even mean for the halo references; I don't even notice until after I actually read it through for errors. As for the conflict between Ash & Liara, it should be relatively easy; Ashley Williams is almost exactly like my RL girlfriend, but she likes guns. Banter between Nick and Ash will be almost easy.

Digijim95: Why thank you; I find that realistic stories tend to be much more enjoyable, and ground the story into a more believable setting.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 13

As the ship flew through the Sparta system, EDI observed through the freighter's external cameras, maneuvering the ungainly ship through the various asteroids, searching for one that fit the criteria she was searching for. She and Legion had found many likely candidates, but none that seemed to match every criterion. Her attention, however, was momentarily distracted, as a new blip appeared on her sensors. Moving the Santa Maria closer, she focused the sensors on the location of the blip.

The freighter came within visual range, giving the AI a good look at what had caused the sensors disturbance; a derelict bio-dome, built into a large asteroid, with an accompanying hangar built into the core of the rock, its doors standing wide open. Examining the asteroid, EDI found that it was much larger than what she was originally searching for, but scanning it to the core revealed that much of it was still untouched, giving her plenty of options by way of fulfilling her original plan.

Her avatar materialized in the cockpit, where Legion sat in the pilot's seat, though she spoke directly to the Geth's mind. [\_This location seems suitable._]

{\_Affirmative._}

EDI ran some quick calculations, before continuing, [\_Legion, once docked, I will require you to begin connecting the ship into the local grid; this base does not appear to have power, which we will require if we are to bring it to full operational status._]

Legion's eye-piece rotated slightly, his flaps twitching slightly, before it responded, {\_We will do as you ask. However, we request information on long-term plans in regards to achieving sufficient power sustainability._}

EDI considered the question as she tasked a small portion of her attention to moving the Santa Maria into the small hangar, the ship just barely fitting into the small space. [\_I have begun running simulations on the theory suggested by Nicholas. If it can be achieved, converting mass into energy, then we can use the various asteroids in the two asteroid belts within this system to power this base for as long as necessary._]

As the ship set down, and the engine core disengaged, EDI watched as Legion moved from the cockpit, into the body of the ship, heading towards the airlock. After a quick vacuum cycle, Legion moved out of the ship, into the empty hangar bay, the side of the ship having more room to maneuver for the Geth than the top or the bottom of the hangar. The Geth platform quickly began moving cables from the ship, out into the hangar bay, plugging them into various ports along the walls. Within moments, they were all in place, and with a flip of a switch by Legion, the hangar's lights activated, and the outer blast doors slowly slid closed.

From outside the asteroid, there was a brief flash of light visible, before the two doors closed over the hangar, their camouflaged surface hiding the hangar from any passing ships, as well as an opaque mirage field forming over the bio-dome, hiding it from sight as well.

* * *

><p>Nick barely noticed as Shepard walked out the door of the med-bay, purpose to her stride. He sat on the medical bed, the scanner having been moved, with his arms wrapped around his legs, his chin resting on his knees. Nick rocked back and forth slightly, just enough to be noticeable, his mind racing. As he sat there, Kaidan continued to watch him out of the corner of his eye.<p>

"Kid... Nick, are you gonna be ok?"

Nick visibly jumped at the sound of Kaidan's voice, startling him out of his introspection. He looked over at Kaidan, confusion on his face. "Huh?"

Kaidan smirked slightly, before becoming serious again, "Are you going to be ok?"

Nick looked back down towards the floor, letting out a sigh. "I don't know." There was a pause, as he considered what to say next. "What am I supposed to do? From here on out, any time I get hurt, I'll get a vicious reminder of what I am now, and anyone who sees will find out pretty damn quick that I'm not entirely Human anymore."

Kaidan shifted his weight, moving to sit in the bed. "Nick, I know you probably feel like you're all alone here; but you need to remember your friends out there. You guys seem like you've been together a while, and I'm sure they'll still stick with you, even after this change." Kaidan smirked, then continued, "Besides, if you keep up your habit of saving people just in the nick of time, you'll quickly make friends of the rest of the crew aboard the Normandy."

"Yeah," was the only reply Kaidan got, Nick leaning back against the wall, staring off into space.

After a minute, Kaidan glanced over, and making a decision, spoke again, "So Nick, where are you from?"

Nick snorted slightly, amused at how Kaidan had no idea how loaded a question that was. "I'm from Ohio."

Kaidan nodded, "Any family?"

Nick tensed unconsciously, but forced himself to relax, "Yeah, parents and five sisters. After the accident, though..." Nick let the sentence drift off, hoping Kaidan wouldn't pursue it any further.

Sure enough, Kaidan took the bait, and dropped the subject. "Oh; sorry." He paused, "So... what exactly were all of you doing down there with T'soni? I can understand her being there for the ruins, but you all look like teenagers, not exactly someone who would go out to a nearly uncharted colony world just to look at ancient artifacts and the like."

Nick's mind raced a thousand miles an hour, trying to come up with something even remotely plausible. He decided he'd tell a little bit of the truth, mixing it with lies. "Well, all of us were interns with Liara, and went with her into the Prothean ruins for various reasons. I went in for some inspiration; I'm planning on opening my own hotel and restaurant someday, and I've been doing a bit of traveling around the galaxy for ideas; at least, where I can afford to."

Kaidan, thankfully, bought it, and simply nodded. "That sounds like it could be fun. A hotel and restaurant, huh? What would you name it?"

Nick just laughed slightly, "I don't even have the foggiest clue, Kaidan. I'll figure that out if I ever get that far." Nick's smile faded a bit, his eyes falling to the floor. "If I ever get that far..."

* * *

><p>"Nick is half-Prothean."<p>

The silence that followed that declaration was immense and heavy, no one daring to even breathe. Finally, after what felt like forever, Liara spoke up, "H-how is that even possible?"

Shepard shook her head, "I don't really know. I'm a soldier, so I don't pretend to understand genetics, but from what the doctor showed me, it's as though his genetic structure essentially doubled itself, making the double helix that is unique to the Protheans, or some mumbo jumbo like that."

Ashley injected her own question into the conversation, "So what does this mean for him? Or the rest of us, for that matter?"

Shepard let out a sigh, staring off into space for a moment, considering. "I'm not sure. We could keep him aboard, see what he's capable of. Or we could give him to either the Council or the Alliance for study-"

Ian spoke up, stepping forward from where he was standing, "No way in hell. We're not letting you just toss him to those wolves so he can be experimented on and dissected like some kind of lab rat!"

Art, Brendan, Joc, Solana, and Liara all stood up behind Ian, nodding their assent. Shepard's gaze hardened, and she opened her mouth to speak, when Ashley intervened, cutting her off before she could say anything, "Actually, skipper, they may have a point." Shepard's glare shifted to Ashley, a hint of a question visible to her face. She continued, "The Council hasn't exactly been supportive, even with evidence, not to mention the recent trouble the Alliance has had with security."

Tali, having kept quiet, decided to add in her opinion, "Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that were Saren to find out about him and his condition, he would likely pursue him, like he did me, to further achieve his goals."

Wrex added his own input from his seat, leaning back with his arms folded, "Even the Shadow Broker would likely want to get his hands on something as rare as a Human-Prothean hybrid."

Shepard glanced around the room, a scowl set on her face, before she finally relented, putting her hands up, "Ok, you've all made your case. We'll keep Nick aboard the Normandy."

* * *

><p>As the group filed out of the briefing room, Brendan turned to Shepard, "Commander, would it be all right if I were to work down in engineering?"<p>

The commander looked him up and down, sizing him up, "Are you any good with tech?"

Brendan nodded, "Yeah, I am; tech and weapons."

Shepard considered for a few moments, before nodding, "Good enough; I'll have Tali evaluate your skills to make sure you don't break anything, and when you're out of engineering you can help the Chief work on the guns."

Brendan nodded to her, and as he turned and left, Shepard turned to Art, who immediately spoke, "Where can I go to help the most?"

"What are you good at?"

Art shrugged, "I can work my way around a computer well enough." Noticing Shepard's raised eyebrow, he continued, "I'm mostly a musician, but I also do work with computers and tech."

After a moment, Shepard let out a slight sigh, "You can work along-side Brendan down in engineering."

Liara stepped up to the commander, "Is there somewhere I can continue my research? To try to find something more about this Conduit you referred to?"

Shepard nodded, "There is a lab in the back of the med-bay; doctor Chakwas can set it up for you to use." Liara bowed her head slightly in thanks, and left, leaving Joc standing there, looking slightly awkward. The Commander turned to her, a questioning look on her face. "Where do you think you could be of some use around here?"

Joc glanced around for a moment, before shrugging, looking a little shy and intimidated by the Spectre, "I could help fly?"

Both of Shepard's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "You have flying experience?"

Joc shook her head, "Not experience, no, but I've had some training."

Shepard thought for a moment, before a smirk came to her face, "I'm sure Joker can help show you the ropes. You can serve as his copilot. It's up towards the front of the ship."

Joc nodded, and practically ran away from Shepard, much to the Spectre's amusement. Glancing around, she realized there were a couple of people missing. '_Where did Ian and Garrus's sister run off to?_'

* * *

><p>Ian bounced lightly in place as the elevator slowly traversed its track downward, heading for the cargo bay. Ian let out a single laugh, amused by the fact that likely for the only time in his entire life, the elevator could not go slow <em>enough<em>. "Kyr-... Solana, are you sure it's a good idea to talk to Garrus about this? _Right now?_"

The female Turian clicked her mandibles together, her brow-ridge set and firm. "Yes, Ian. I will not have him find out from someone else, and run the risk of him hurting you when I'm not there to ensure your safety."

Ian scoffed, "Oh, sure, because that would be a _great_ way for me to prove to him that I can protect you!"

Solana turned to him, her mandibles flat against her face, "Ian, when he finds out, he could likely try to disembowel you with his talons. It is well within the realm of possibilities. I have a rough hide, whereas you're soft and fleshy. I'd rather not have my brother gut the first male I introduce to him, thank you very much."

Ian stopped, considering for a moment, before nodding, letting out a resigned sigh. "Fine, you win."

Ian opened his mouth to say more, just as the doors to the elevator opened, taking the wind right out of his lungs. The instant his eyes fell on the Turian working on the Mako, Ian wished that the elevator could have been slower; maybe even bordering on obscenely slow. Solana took a few steps out, stopped, then turned around, giving him a questioning look. "Ian? Are you coming?"

Ian gestured over his shoulder vaguely, "Tell you what, I got a plan. I'll go back up there and get something to eat, you soften him up a bit first-" He never finished the sentence, only able to let out a small yelp as the female Turian reached into the elevator, grabbing Ian by the collar and dragging him out.

"Sol, I'm really not sure this is a good idea!"

The Turian glanced over her shoulder at Ian, an annoyed look visible on her face, "What is it with you and shortening whatever name I take on?"

Ian frowned a little at the question. "I have absolutely no idea. Seriously, though, I'm having second thoughts about this..."

Before he could finish talking, Garrus looked up from the Mako as the pair came into proximity with him, eyes narrowing upon seeing his sister. "Hello, Solana." The greeting was somewhat colder than what would be expected between siblings, but at least Garrus wasn't yelling like when his sister first appeared on the Normandy.

"Garrus," she nodded. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," the other Turian muttered, mandibles widening in irritation as he turned back to the Mako. "Did a lot better when I wasn't worrying about you being here, though."

"Oh, cut it out, Garrus!" Ian suddenly said, then looked shocked that the words had slipped out of his mouth. Garrus slowly looked down at him, looking even less pleased to see the human than he had been to see Solana. "She's your sister!"

"You know," Garrus replied, a little tetchily, "I don't think we've been introduced. Though you seem to be following my sister around a lot, which concerns me. Are you two dating or something?" His tone of voice made it obvious he was joking, but Ian coughed slightly and stared intently at the floor, Sol deciding to look up at the ceiling instead. An awkward silence hung in the air for a few seconds, until Ian finally decided to address it, feeling his pulse rising.

"Well, on the side of introductions, I'm Ian," he responded, mumbling slightly with nerves. "And I know you're Garrus, Sol's told me all about you. As for your other question..." Ian glanced over at Solana, who just nodded slightly. "Yeah; I'm her boyfriend."

Garrus gaped at him, mouth hanging open slightly, mandibles widened, glancing between Solana's impassive face and Ian's worried one before finally beginning to chuckle. "You've got a good sense of humor, Human; a bit risky with a Turian, joking about dating my sister..." Neither Solana or Ian's expression changed. "You... You're not kidding..." Garrus turned towards his sister, an incredulous look on his face, his mandibles twitching, "Solana, he's a human!"

"Really, Garrus?" she replied sardonically, giving her brother a glare. "I hadn't noticed."

"Look, when this all started, I was probably as surprised as you are," Ian said quickly, noticing the pissed off look that was beginning to form on Garrus's face. "Our species don't usually get along that well, for a start, and Sol and I started out the same way... but it worked; which is a shock, seeing as she was trying to kill me at one point."

Garrus let out a low, guttural growl. "I'm tempted to make good on that; this is... I mean... spirits, Solana; this is what you get up to when I'm gone? And you!" he shouted, whirling his eyes upon Ian. "How did you two meet each other? Did you convince her into this... this... this travesty?"

Solana strode forward, pushing her brother slightly and staring him down. "You don't talk to him like that! This isn't some C-Sec interrogation you can have with him about us, Garrus! We're together, you need to deal with it!"

"Sis, this is an inter-species relationship!" Garrus shouted back, causing just about every head in the garage to turn and survey them. "It can't be serious!"

'Great,' Ian thought, 'may as well tell everyone _else_ while we're here.'

"You think we're not serious?" Solana replied, practically yelling now, then turned her head towards Ian and lowered her voice to him. "Go along with this."

"Go along with wha-" Ian began to ask, just as Solana embraced him, pulled him in close, lowering her face to his... and kissed him. He suddenly became acutely aware of the heat coming off her body, feeling her mandibles moving gently against his cheeks as her throat rumbled with a slight purring sound, long tongue against his mouth contrasting with her hard face plate... then they suddenly broke apart, and Ian began to feel his lips and the inside of his mouth numb slightly. He was reeling more from what had just happened... but not nearly as much as Garrus, who could only stare in amazement.

"You know," Ian said quickly, stumbling over his words due to the reaction his mouth was having, likely an allergic reaction, "I think we've made a lot of progress here, so I'm... I'm just gonna go. Sol, maybe you should come with me? Give Garrus some time to, uh, come to terms with this?"

The female Turian nodded, glancing over at her brother, who remained speechless, mandibles just twitching slightly in shock. "I think that might be a good idea. Better still, we all split up to... cool off a bit."

Ian could faintly hear Garrus growling, and walked as fast as he could to the elevator with Solana, glancing over at Garrus and rapidly pressing the button to make the elevator ascend. Looking up, Ian noticed the male Turian starting to walk towards the elevator, murder evident in his eyes, his talons clicking together repeatedly, the sound carrying across the entire cargo bay. Ian started pressing the button faster, his heart-rate accelerating more and more. Just as Garrus crossed the halfway point of the hangar, the door finally started sliding shut, sealing them off. Once the doors had finally shut and they began moving upward, Ian looked over at Solana, smiled weakly, then slid down the wall into a seating position.

"I can't believe we just did that," Solana said, gently feeling the underside of her jaw with a talon. "I'm sorry, Ian, I just got caught up in the heat of the moment and-"

"Hey, hey, don't apologize," he replied reassuringly, looking up at her. "I think I'm having an allergic reaction, and if we'd kissed any longer it might have killed me, but... it was worth it. From a personal standpoint, anyway. For breaking Garrus into our relationship, though... that could have gone better. How do you think he took that?"

Solana let out a sigh, her head drooping downward slightly, as her mandibles fell, "Honestly, if he didn't want to disembowel you when you initially told him, he definitely does now."

"I'm dead," Ian muttered.

* * *

><p>Tali couldn't help but smile to herself as she heard both Art and Brendan gasp as the three of them walked into engineering, the two humans both amazed at the sight of the Tantalus drive core. Brendan managed to find his voice first, "Wow... that thing is huge!"<p>

Tali turned, amused, "Yes, that was the reaction I had the first time I laid my eyes on it. You get used to it after a while, though." Tali continued to walk into the section, stepping up to the head engineer, "Engineer Adams, we have two new recruits to work with."

The man smirked slightly, clearly amused, turning towards Art and Brendan, "So, how much do the two of you _really_ know about these systems?"

Both of them shook their heads, their eyes wide. Brendan spoke up, though, "Not much... uh, sir!"

Adams just laughed slightly, waving away the title with his hand, "Relax; I'm not as strict as the commander. Down here, we all depend on each other to make it out of hairy situations alive, and the rest of the crew depends on us, specifically, to ensure that everything else continues to work on the ship. Without us, this ship would be a drifting coffin of nuts and bolts." His smile grew, "Besides, the less you know, the better; it just means I get to teach you however I feel like it."

Art and Brendan turned to each other, nervousness clearly written on either of their faces.

* * *

><p>Joker let out a sigh, looking down at Therum; more specifically, the spot on Therum that had been the Prothean dig site, that was now a massive super volcano. He watched various transports flying in and out of the colony spaceport, likely trying to evacuate the small colony there before it was overtaken by the lava flows. The sound of someone clearing their throat behind him made him roll his eyes, thinking it was the Commander. Glancing over his shoulder, however, gave him quite the surprise; it was the girl that had came aboard with the orange eyed freak.<p>

"Yeah? You need something?"

The girl cleared her throat, then spoke, "Y-yeah, Commander Shepard told me to come up here; that you could help teach me to be your copilot?"

Joker's jaw flat-out dropped as he stared at the girl for a few seconds, before his brain managed to catch up with the rest of him. "You're serious? She wants _me _to teach _you_ how to be a copilot?"

The girl nodded, "Yes, she did. Is there something wrong with that?"

Joker shook his head, closing his eyes, and held up a single finger, indicating for her to wait. After a moment, he let out a sigh, "Ahh... finally; someone gives me the appreciation that I deserve." At the girl's questioning gaze, he elaborated, "I, my dear, am the single greatest pilot this galaxy has ever seen. The fact that the Commander has decided to acknowledge my skills by allowing you to become my _apprentice_," he practically sang the word, "only makes my day so much better."

A voice rang out from behind Joc, "Don't let it get to your head, fly-boy; maybe I sent her up here for you to train her as your replacement?"

Joker just rolled his eyes as Shepard stepped around the confused girl, "As if, commander; no amount of training could make anyone better than me."

Shepard just laughed, a rare smile visible on her face, "Careful, Joker; if your ego gets any bigger, not even the stealth systems will be able to hide us anymore." She laughed even harder as Joker rolled his eyes at her. After a moment, she turned toward Joc, "His sense of humor takes a bit of getting used to, but he's a damned good pilot, so make sure you pay attention to whatever he teaches you." Shepard turned to leave, but glanced back over her shoulder at the girl, "Also, be careful with him; he has brittle bones, so hitting him will likely break something... Then again, that could always work to your advantage."

Shepard turned and walked away, laughing at the look on her pilot's face.

* * *

><p>Nick glanced up at the doorway to the med-bay as it slid open, only for his eyes to widen slightly in surprise, seeing Ashley step through. He watched to see if anyone else followed her, but furrowed his brow as the door slid shut behind her. He looked at the Chief, questioning, "Where's all of my friends?"<p>

Ashley shrugged, "The skipper sent them all to their new work stations aboard the ship, so they're probably figuring out what their new jobs will be. As for myself, I don't really have any weapons to work on just yet, so I thought I'd pay you and the LT a visit, make sure you're both recuperating."

Kaidan chuckled slightly from the bed next to Nick, sitting up, "Uh huh, sure; you just wanted to come see if it was true, didn't you?"

Nick's eyes fell towards the bunk, pulling his knees a little closer towards his chest, already understanding what it was Kaidan was referring to. "Yeah, it's true, Chief; I've become a freak of nature."

Nick glanced up at the woman as he noticed her moving slightly, looking at Nick as though she were examining him. After a few moments, she let out a grunt, a hint of a smirk just noticeable on her face, "Nah, you don't look so bad; the silver hair almost makes you look... regal."

He just gave her a dubious look, "Regal? Really? That's the best you can come up with?"

Ashley smiled then, shrugging her shoulders, "What do you expect? I work with guns most of the time, and poetry when I'm not working with guns."

Nick just shook his head, "Regal... I'm twenty, Chief, not eighty; I'd much rather be dashingly handsome. Saying I look regal may as well be saying I look _old_."

Both Kaidan and Ashley began to laugh, smiles evident on their faces at Nick's comment. An older voice from across the med-bay sounded out, "Is that so, young man?"

Nick immediately backpedalled, "Uh, I mean... not to say that being old is necessarily a bad thing... after all, age implies experience and wisdom..." he turned towards the two Alliance soldiers, a helpless look on his face, as he practically whimpered, "_help?_"

Kaidan and Ashley both started to laugh even harder, enough so that even doctor Chakwas allowed a slight smirk at Nick's expense, as the young man groaned, dropping his head onto his pulled-up knees. As the laughter continued, the door to the med-bay slid open, allowing Ian to step in, holding his hand to his mouth, looking around the bay in confusion. "Whath did I missth?"

Chakwas immediately stood up from her small desk, moving towards Ian. "What's wrong with your mouth, young man?"

Ian glanced down at the floor, blushing. "An allergic reacthion. Stholana and I thalked with Garrusth abouth our relathionthip, and sthe ended up kisthing me."

The doctor pulled his hands away from his mouth, and firing up her omni-tool, began scanning his face. "Well, it seems like the reaction is relatively minor, all things considering. You were lucky; had your reaction been any worse, you wouldn't have survived long enough to make it here for me to treat you, especially not if you were down in the cargo bay."

Nick, finally glad to have the attention focused away from him, ignored the looks of incredulousness coming from the two soldiers, and smiled at Ian, "So, how was the kiss?"

Ian's blush only increased, turning a deeper shade of red, "Well... a bith leathery, acthually. Buth quithe pleasanth."

Nick put a hand over his mouth, desperately trying not to laugh. "It would seem that that kiss didn't agree with you so much." With a snort, Nick finally lost his control, and began laughing, his arms clutching his stomach as he laughed, until he nearly rolled off the medical bed, flailing his arms out to catch himself. Ashley moved to try to catch him, but his momentum carried both of them to the floor, Nick landing atop of Ashley, the two of them face to face. The room was silent for a moment, before both Nick and Ashley began laughing, causing everyone else to laugh along with them.

As the laughter died down, Nick rolled off of Ashley, and turned to her, still smiling, "Are you ok? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Ashley sat up, shaking her head as she brushed off her arms, "Nah, I'm alright." After a moment, she sobered up, and looked at him, questioning, "Are you going to be ok?"

Nick's smile disappeared, and he looked around the medical bay, seeing that everyone was looking at him, even Kaidan, who was standing at the edge of what had been Nick's bed. With a sigh, a very slight and hesitant smile came to Nick's face. "Yeah; I think I am."


	14. Chapter 14 Instinct

A/ N: well, I was surprised at the seeming lack of response to the last chapter. Though I guess it's only fair, having taken so long to get it up. Oh well, hopefully this one'll be better.

M-Angel 05: The dome's from the Protheans; if you go to the ME wiki, and look up the system it's in, you'll find there actually _is_ a Prothean bio-dome there.

Archerstar: I never really understood people portraying Ash as a total bitch; it never made sense to me. I know it's tough seeing Nick so scared, but it's realistic. Not sure I'm too hot on that name for a hotel/restaurant. (nothing personal) yeah, I know she's total Renegade-status, but I'm enjoying it; too many people paint Shepard to be the perfect paragon. As for Tali... you'll just have to wait and see. Technically, his sister tongued Ian, not the other way around.

Greed11: Vis'da'an is still there; she's just hanging out and watching for now. Why the "kids" as you put it aboard the Normandy? Simple: cannon fodder. This _is_ a severe renegade Shep, after all. And Tali is just as much as a kid as the rest of them, so if Shepard let her there, why not the rest of 'em?

N7ODST: if you don't care for crossover(ing), then you won't like where this story goes further down the road. Sorry.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 14

A while after everyone else had left, Nick stood up from the bed he had been laying on. Turning around, he spoke, "Doctor Chakwas, would it be all right if I went and got something to eat?"

The doctor looked up from her terminal nodding, "Of course. You're not being forced to stay in here, by any means, not unless you start getting sick or are injured."

Nick nodded, "Thank you, doctor." With that, he turned towards the door, and moved close enough for the door to slide open. However, another person stepped into the med-bay, just as Nick attempted to step out. The two of them collided into each other, Nick feeling his face bump against someone else's. He leaned back slightly, opening his mouth to apologize, when he realized who the other person was. "Oh, Liara! I'm sorry; I didn't mean to run into you."

She quickly glanced down, stepping back so she wasn't quite so close to Nick, "I-I'm sorry; I just wanted to come check up on you, to see how you were doing."

Nick smiled slightly, the corner of his mouth rising, "I'm doing ok, thank you." He glanced around Liara, before looking back at her, "I was actually about to go grab something to eat; would you like to come with me?"

Liara looked back up, meeting Nick's gaze, as a smile came to her face, "I would like that very much."

With that, the two of them stepped out of the med-bay, and walked into the commons area of the Normandy. Nick and Liara both stepped up to the wall, pulling out various food rations from the recessed cabinets, before moving towards the table, food in hand. As the two of them sat down, Nick looked at Liara, "So, have you been assigned an area for work?"

The Asari nodded, pulling her food out onto a fold-out tray, "Yes; the Commander has assigned the small room in the back of the medical bay for my research. I was on my way there to examine it when we collided with each other."

Nick nodded as he began eating, his face scrunching up at the rather unpleasant taste. "Sorry about that; I didn't mean to run into you there."

Liara just shook her head, "Oh, no, it is all right. I-it did not bother me. I, uh, I mean, um, it was an accident." Nick pretended not to notice as Liara's head lowered slightly, her face turning a much darker shade of blue. After a few moments, she cleared her throat, and glanced back up at Nick, "So, has the commander assigned you with any tasks to work on aboard the Normandy?"

His brow furrowed in thought, "No, she hasn't. There wasn't really time, once we all found out about my... condition."

A woman cleared her throat behind Nick, causing him to nearly jump. "That's something we can rectify right now, since you brought it up." With that, Commander Shepard maneuvered around Nick, and sat down at the end of the table, looking at both Nick and Liara. "So, what is it you happen to be good with, Nick?"

The man shrugged, his orange eyes focused on the commander, "Mostly guns, but I figure I'll need to spend quite a bit of time working either with Liara or Kaidan on improving my biotics; I haven't had much by way of training with them, and I'd very much like to change that."

Shepard nodded, and after a quick glance at the Asari, looked back at Nick, "Well, I can put you in the schedule for helping Ashley down in the hangar with the weapons, but the rest of the time, I'd like you to work with Liara; you two seem to already have a bit of an understanding with one another, and since you've been introduced to a beacon like I have, the two of you can work on figuring out any clues to what Saren may be looking for."

Nick nodded, "I can do that, no problem. Between the two of us, I'm sure we can find out whatever you need, commander."

The woman nodded, sparing only a momentary glance for each of them, before she stood up, moving away from the table. One of the other crewmen called out to her, and she moved over to them, leaving Nick and Liara to themselves. After a few moments, Nick smirked at Liara, "Well then, I guess that means we'll be sharing the same workspace."

Liara blushed a bit, looking down at her food, "Y-yes, it would seem so."

Nick reached across the table, nudging Liara's hand with his knuckles, "Hey, don't be so embarrassed; I mean, it's just for working together. It's not like we'll be both sleeping in there. I'm sure the commander will have me cycled into the sleeping pods along with the rest of the crew." He smirked, then continued, "Besides, it's not like we haven't already had to do that before."

Nick laughed as Liara blushed excessively hard, her entire head nearly turning purple, her hands covering her face in embarrassment. "By the goddess..."

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><p>This is Citadel News Net, I'm Emily Wong. Following the surprise change of direction earlier this week, Cerberus representatives met with the Systems Alliance leadership this morning. Talks were initiated on the subject of cooperation between the two entities. Nothing definitive was established, but so far, the positive atmosphere looks promising. In related news, splinter factions have left Cerberus, citing a 'betrayal to the Human cause.' Prominent members of the Terra Firma party have also left their positions, openly joining with this splinter group against both Cerberus, and the Systems Alliance.<p>

In a gesture of good will, Cerberus has disclosed information as to the mysterious 'Reapers' referred to in earlier documentation. It would appear that they believe these Reapers to be some sort of sentient race of starships, capable of annihilating all organic life. Skeptics call these beings 'little more than stories to scare children at night.' However, with recent sightings of a strange ship of massive proportions appearing randomly within the Terminus Systems, some are taking these stories seriously.

In other news, severe solar flares...

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><p>EDI watched through the small station's internal camera system as Legion continued to move supplies around the interior of the base, piling all of the miscellaneous debris into one of the out of the way storage rooms. [\<em>Legion; would it not be more efficient if you were to contact the Geth in this reality? To have them send additional units here to aid us?<em>]

The Geth stopped midstride, processing the question, before glancing up at the nearest camera. {\_Such an action would alert the Geth collective prematurely. Such an outcome would be undesirable, and could disturb the plan._}

EDI pondered it further, while Legion resumed what it was doing. After a few seconds, a new idea came into EDI's 'mind.' [\_What if you were to construct more Geth here, within this asteroid? They could be limited and linked here, keeping them within our mission parameters._]

Legion again stopped, its eye-piece whirling rapidly, the flaps along its head flapping. {\_That... was not a solution this platform had considered. We will seek consensus on this._}

With that, Legion's eye dimmed, the Geth ceasing all motion while the processes within it worked towards a solution.

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><p>Nick let out a sigh, stretching his back and his neck. With a grunt, he straightened back up, giving Ashley a smile. "So, how'd I do for my first day?"<p>

The chief just shrugged, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Well, you seem to be learning quickly. If I didn't know any better, I'd almost guess that you've got some previous experience working with guns like this."

Nick shook his head, "No, not with guns like this; I've worked with old guns, though. The types of guns from back on Earth, old enough that they still used gun powder. I'll admit, I was a bit intimidated by these guns at first, but once you figure out how the inner mechanisms work, it's not all that different."

Ashley nodded, "No kidding. Well, I wouldn't quite trust you to clean one of these just yet, but give it a week or two, and a bit more progress like you showed today, and I would gladly trust you enough for weapons detail."

Nick bowed his head slightly, "Thank you, Ashley. Well, if that's all, I'm heading up to Liara's lab; it's time for my biotics lessons."

Some kind of emotion flashed across the woman's face, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared in the first place. "Alright; have fun."

With that, Nick walked towards the elevator, Liara's lab in mind. Walking across the cargo bay, he glanced around, before noticing a Turian waving him over, wearing dark blue armor. With a mental sigh, Nick turned and walked over to him. "Yeah? Is there something you need... uh, Garrus, right?"

The Turian nodded, "Yes, I am; you're Nick, right? The half-Prothean?" Nick acknowledged him, so Garrus continued, "I wanted to ask you about what is going on between my sister and that... other _Human._" The Turian's voice practically dripped with contempt at even mentioning Ian's existence.

Nick quirked an eyebrow, "You mean how their relationship came about?" At the Turian's nod, he explained, "Well, if you're asking if Ian somehow convinced your sister into some kind of relationship, just forget that. If he would have tried, she'd have killed him... violently. But then, neither was it entirely her doing. It just sort of... happened, I guess. One minute, she was in some kind of blood rage, trying to gut Ian with her talons as she chased him around our ship's cargo hold, and the next, she was on top of him, nuzzling him."

Hearing this, Garrus dropped his head into one hand, shaking his head with his eyes closed. "No, no... Spirits, no..." Seeing Nick's puzzled look, Garrus explained, "Centuries ago, Turians used to find mates based off of a sort of hunt; it wasn't gender specific, more of whichever was more aggressive would 'hunt' the other. The longer the hunted could keep away, the more likely for a successful mating pair. How long was he able to stay away from her?"

Nick thought about it, rubbing his chin with one hand. "Well, if I had to guess, probably at least a couple of minutes. Why?"

"If it had been any less, she would have instinctively ripped him apart. Spirits, it's a wonder she didn't anyway, in that short a time."

Thinking back, Nick recalled a detail he hadn't thought about before. "Now that you mention it, I think there was a pistol next to the two of them. If Ian had the pistol-"

The Turian cut him off, "Then he would have stopped her from killing him. That would have been enough for her to... Shit; no wonder she's become attracted to him. She's already imprinted onto him." With that, Garrus began shaking his head again, holding his face with his hands, groaning.

Nick raised an eyebrow, and slowly began to walk backwards. "Well, I hope I've helped you figure out what's going on... I'm, uh, just gonna go. I've got to meet with Liara."

Garrus looked up, before nodding, "Yeah, sure, go ahead. Thanks for helping me clear that up."

Returning the nod, Nick turned and stepped into the elevator. As the doors closed, Nick let out a deep breath, closing his eyes. Taking the moment of quiet to himself, he brought up his omni-tool, and brought up the picture of his family, which he had copied into a digital format onto his omni-tool. He simply stared at the picture, looking at his sisters and his parents for what felt like only a few seconds, before the sound of someone clearing their throat behind him caught his attention, causing him to quickly wipe away a stray tear that had found its way down his face.

"Hey kid, that your family?" Nick spun around, relaxing as he realized that it was Kaidan standing there.

Nick simply responded, "Yeah. Five older sisters and my parents."

Kaidan nodded, "They look good, kid."

Nick quirked an eyebrow at him, "Why do you keep calling me kid?"

A smirk came to the soldiers' face, "Well, I guess you could say it just seems to fit. It's certainly not the worst nickname I could be calling you."

Nodding, Nick waved the older man off, "Yeah, true. I'd stay and talk, but I'm meeting with Liara to work on my biotics."

Kaidan stepped out of the way, "Sure thing, kid. Listen, if you need someone to talk to, don't be afraid to look me up."

"Thanks Kaidan, I'll keep that in mind."

With that, Nick walked out of the elevator, and through the hallway towards the med-bay. A quick glance allowed Nick to see that there was hardly anyone in the mess hall, so he stepped in and grabbed a pair of rations, carrying them with him into the med-bay. As the doors slid open, doctor Chakwas looked up from her terminal, eyeing Nick curiously. "What brings you to my corner of the ship this time of the afternoon?"

Nick held up the rations, "I'm due to meet up with Liara now to practice biotics, and being so close to dinner, I thought I'd just bring her something as well."

Chakwas simply smiled at him, "Ah, I see. Well, she's back in there." As Nick walked past her desk, she spoke to him, stopping him in his tracks, "In case you were wondering, I have noticed the way the two of you look at each other."

Nick felt the heat rushing to his neck, and only barely managed to keep the trembling out of his voice, "W-what do you mean, doctor?"

The older woman simply smiled, not looking up from her terminal, "Oh, nothing. Enjoy practicing your biotics, Nicholas."

He stood there a moment, before shaking his head, continuing into the small lab space behind the med-bay. As he entered the small room, Liara looked over her shoulder from the terminal she was working on, and seeing Nick, immediately smiled, turning away from the computer. "Hello Nick; I was expecting you."

Nick nodded, looking down at the floor slightly, "Sorry for being late. I got held up by a few people wanting to talk to me."

Liara replied, "It is all right; you are here now. That is what is important." After a moment of silence, the Asari noticed the ration packets in Nick's hands. "What is that?"

Nick looked at his hands, suddenly remembering the food there. "Oh; um, I realized it was close to dinner, so I went ahead and grabbed some food for the two of us. I wasn't entirely sure what you wanted, but I hope it's something you like. I didn't want you to miss eating on account of me."

Liara's smile widened, "Thank you, Nick. That was very thoughtful of you."

With that, he handed her one of the ration packets, and the two of them sat down on the floor, eating their meal in relative silence. Once finished, Nick took the two packets and set them on a nearby crate, and sat down in front of Liara, cross-legged. "So, how should we go about with this?"

Liara looked into his eyes, hesitating for a moment, before she shook her head slightly, her eyelids fluttering. "You'll need to relax; close your eyes, open your mind, and clear any and all distractions." Nick tried to do as she said, closing his eyes and trying to clear his mind. She continued, "Keep your attention on that nothingness, looking inward, into yourself. Feel the energy as it moves through your body; allow your mind to connect to the element zero within you. Follow your nervous system to each node, focus on them, and make them part of you."

Nick obeyed, his mind mentally tracing out what he thought to be his nervous system, imagining the different nodes of element zero inside of his body. After a few minutes of concentration, he could almost swear he could feel some of the nodes reacting to his mind. He tried to focus harder, searching within his body for each of the eezo nodes. Before long, he could feel air moving across his arms, as well as an electrical tingling sensation, a sign to him that it was working.

As Liara watched, she could see a faint hint of a blue haze around Nick's body, but before long, the haze turned into a full, thick cloud of biotic energy, though it was hazy and unfocused, simply a visible representation of the element zero being excited by his nervous system. Before long, his hands moved from his lap onto his knees, palms resting upward, as though he were meditating, and his entire posture relaxed, the energy swirling around him. Liara became more and more entranced as the biotic glow around him became more pronounced, giving his skin a dark blue tint to it, caused by the light passing through it.

Without even thinking about it, Liara lifted her left hand, slowly extending it towards Nick's right hand. As soon as her hand entered the biotic field surrounding his body, Nick's eyebrows twitched, as though a thought had crossed his mind, or as if he had felt her hand pass into his biotic field. She hesitated, before continuing, until her fingertips brushed against the skin of his underarm, just above his wrist. Nick suddenly inhaled, the touch appearing to be completely unexpected, and the biotic field immediately around her arm began swirling around her arm in a strange helixical pattern, further entrancing Liara.

After a moment, the biotic field stabilized, but remained focused around the point that Liara was touching, as though it were affecting his concentration. Liara looked up to his face, just as his eyes began to slowly slide open. She gasped as she looked into his eyes, the orange in them completely replaced with a biotically-charged blue hue, glowing, but not enough to obscure the black irises.

Liara's mind was completely blank, and was unable to control herself as she began to lean forward, her eyes locked with his, as though she were no longer in control of them. She could feel her heart racing, each beat forcing more of her blood to race through her veins, making her chest feel as though it were about to burst. As she came near, Nick began to move closer to her as well, his eyes seeming to roam all across her face. She could feel his breath caressing her face, as though it were his fingers brushing against her cheeks.

Tentatively, their lips brushed together, ever so gently, causing a near-electric shock to shoot through both of their bodies, each of them taking in a shuddering breath at the sensation, closing their eyes. Her hand, the one that had been lightly touching Nick's wrist, suddenly gripped his wrist, trying to steady herself. He immediately grabbed back, struggling himself with his own balance and control. All the while, their lips stayed connected, unable to part from each other, the force of the kiss slowly increasing. Liara could feel Nick's biotics swirl almost uncontrollably at the flood of sensation passing through the kiss, until the field encompassed Liara as well, swirling around the both of them in a chaotic swarm of energy.

As the kiss intensified, Liara opened her eyes in shock as she felt her own nervous system reacting at the biotics around her, the element zero naturally occurring in her body becoming energized, synching with Nick's energy. She could feel herself melting into the kiss, as though it were intoxicating, when she realized she was beginning to feel an echo through her mind, as though her mind was connecting to his. Nick's eyes opened, and if Liara would have had control of her mouth and lungs, she would have gasped at the sight; his eyes were solid blue with swirls of orange, his biotic energy and his Prothean blood seeming to battle against one another for control.

Suddenly, Nick pulled away, both of them gasping for air, as Nick's biotics immediately died away. He pulled his hands away from her, putting them against his face, rubbing at his eyes and face. Liara put a hand on her head, trying to stop the room from spinning any more.

"By the goddess..."

Nick moved onto his knees, dropping his head down almost to the ground, still holding it in his hands, still gasping. "Liara... I am... so sorry... I didn't mean... for that... to happen..." He shakily stood up, mostly leaning against the wall. "I... should just... go..."

Before he could fully turn around, Liara tried to quickly stand, "Nick, wait!" unfortunately for her, she was just as shaky as he was, and she rapidly lost her balance, falling towards the floor. She reached out, trying to grab ahold of something, anything. She suddenly stopped with a jerk, before hitting the floor. Looking up, she found herself wrapped in a biotic field of some kind, swirling around her arm and body, emanating from Nick's hand, firmly wrapped around her own outstretched hand.

Gingerly, Nick slowly pulled Liara up onto her feet, the Asari almost instinctively allowing herself to be pulled close to him as she steadied herself, holding onto his biceps to keep her balance. After a moment, she looked up, only to find herself once again looking directly into Nick's eyes, the orange color having returned in full to them, no longer affected by his biotic energy. She noticed that his arms were around her, his hands resting at the center of her back.

Liara tried to open her mouth to speak, but couldn't find her voice at first. After a moment, she finally managed to speak, "P-please... don't go..."

Nick simply nodded, his eyelids closing partially, as his head lowered down towards her. Liara tilted her head upwards immediately, her lips parting slightly. Their lips met together with no hesitation, though as they kissed, it did not progress into a torrent of emotions as it had before. It passed by in what felt like barely seconds, but finally Nick pulled away, panting for the air he had denied himself to prolong the kiss as long as he could manage, a smile clearly written all across his face. Liara felt the corners of her mouth tugging upward, matching his smile, her own breathing labored.

"I... you... Goddess..."

Nick just smiled wider, pulling Liara into a hug, resting his chin on the top of her crest as she half-buried her face into his chest. "Yeah; ditto."

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><p>Joker sat in the pilot's seat, bored as the ship's auto-pilot kept the Normandy flying towards the relay, perusing through the various security cameras aboard the ship. Joc spoke up from next to him, "You know, you could actually be up her doing something, rather than being immature and spying on the crew."<p>

Joker just shrugged, not even looking away from the screen, "Yeah, I could, but I'm already the galaxy's best pilot, and having brittle bones doesn't give me much by way of available hobbies, so I just pass the time alon- _holy shit!_"

Joc's head spun towards Joker, "What? Is something wrong?"

The girl became a bit nervous a Joker's grin turned near-predatory. "No, but this is definitely something I'm gonna save!" He pressed a few buttons, before she could see a small red circle in the corner of the screen, indicating it was recording. Seeing Joc trying to look at his screen, he pressed a few more buttons, and the image suddenly popped up in front of Joc. Looking down, her eyes grew wide, looking at the large blue biotic field surrounding Nick and Liara; however, it was the two of them _kissing_ that caught her total attention.

Joc just smiled, "Well it's about time those two finally admitted it to each other."

Joker looked at the girl skeptically, "What do you mean, finally?"

Joc's smile grew wider, "Those two have been goggly-eyeing each other for as long as they've been together, probably since they first met. It's been almost painful watching the two of them beat around the bush for _this_ long, as is."

Joker just shrugged, "Whatever; it's still fun for me to watch."

Another feminine voice joined in from behind Joker, "Watch what?" He immediately panicked, and began to reach for the switch to disengage the screen, when a hand gently, but firmly, grabbed his wrist. "Not so fast, Joker; what are you two... oh... _wow..._" Commander Shepard leaned over Joker's chair, her eyes wide as she watched the two persons on the screen. "I've never really understood much about how biotics work, but _that_ is pretty impressive."

They all watched as Nick pulled away from the kiss, and turned to leave, only for Liara to try to stop him. Joker snorted as Liara started to fall. "Damn; must be one hell of a kisser if he can make her _that_ weak in the knees after just a kiss!" They all watched with rapt attention as Liara was swept into Nick's arms, moving ever closer. Just before they began kissing again, a warning screen popped up in the center of both displays, deactivating the security feed. Joker grimaced, "Commander, we've got a distress beacon coming through; looks like it's coming from the Sparta System."

The Spectre let out a sigh, nodding, "Set a course; our stop to the Citadel just got pushed back a bit."

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><p>Nick let out a sigh as he strapped his armor on, making sure the shield capacitor belt and the three ordinance packs were all in place, before putting his Archon Visor on. He stepped out of Liara's lab, which she had allowed him to use to store his gear, and through the med-bay. He wasn't sure, but he could have sworn that the doctor smirked as he stepped through, but quickly dismissed it, trying to think back to what he knew of Edolus. He grimaced when nothing came to mind, and defaulted to simply staring at the wall moving in front of him as the elevator lowered to the hangar.<p>

The door slid open as he reached the bottom, and he stopped as he saw Ian, Brendan, Liara, and Art all standing there, armed and armored next to the Mako, along with Commander Shepard. He quickly jogged over, and stopped in front of the Spectre. "Commander, we're all going down to the surface?"

She nodded, "I want to see how you all interact with one another, and how well you can handle stress on the ground. Besides, sensors aren't picking anything up, so there shouldn't be any danger in taking you all down to gauge how well you all operate and follow my orders."

Nick looked into the back of the Mako skeptically, "Are you sure we'll all fit inside that thing?"

The commander just shot a look of annoyance at him, "Yes, I am sure. Now get _in._"

Silently, everyone climbed into the interior of the Mako, Shepard moving into the driver's seat while everyone else positioned themselves into the seats within the cargo bay. Nick smiled as Liara picked the seat immediately next to him, a small smile visible on her face as she looked over to him.

Ian glanced across the interior of the tank at the two of them, smirking, "Hey you two, focus on the drop; not each other." He laughed as both Nick and Liara began to blush, refusing to look at anyone else in the cargo bay of the Mako.

Shepard glanced back into the bay, "Everyone prep for drop!"

Not three seconds later, the Mako shot out the front of the Normandy's cargo bay, the sudden motion catching all of them off guard. All of them gripped the panic-bars on the harnesses holding them in place, though most of them had smiles on their faces during the drop. Their smiles, however, quickly disappeared during the landing, the vehicles' built in eezo core doing little to absorb the shock of the landing.

Once the vehicle came to a stop, Shepard climbed out of the driver's seat, and maneuvered into the small bay in the back. "So, any of you want to get graded on your driving skills?"

Ian and Brendan's hands immediately shot up, as both of them shot glares at each other, causing Art, Nick, and Liara to all laugh. Nick simply looked at the Spectre, and spoke, "I'll give it a try."

She just smiled, and pointed at Nick, "Go ahead, hop on up."

Ian and Brendan both scoffed, "Why are you letting him go instead of one of us?"

The Spectre shrugged, "Because he was the one being mature about it." With that, she moved back to the front, dropping herself into the tactical station. "All right Nick, I assume you know how to drive this thing, so take us to the location of the emergency beacon."

Nick nodded, and gunned the throttle, testing the feel of the Mako. He experimented a couple of times with the thrusters, enough so that Art called out, "Nick, I don't really want to get sick back here! Watch how you drive!"

Nick simply laughed as he gunned the throttle in response, causing the Mako to shoot off the crest of the hill in front of them. Below and in front of them, Nick could see a large clearing, seemingly flat. Near the middle of it sat what appeared to be the emergency beacon, surrounded by small specks and a wrecked vehicle. As Nick looked, he slowed the vehicle down, an uneasy feeling settling in his gut.

"Commander, something doesn't feel right about this..."

Shepard nodded, "I'm getting the same feeling; but we need to check this out."

Nick let out a sigh, and pushed the throttle forward, the Mako creeping forward along the rough, sandy surface of the planet. He felt his palms begin to sweat as the vehicle moved onto the flat stretch, leveling out along the surface. His eyes darted back and forth across the landscape through the front windshield, occasionally glancing down at the sensors. A lump formed in his gut as the vehicle began to shake, the vibrations coming, not from the vehicle, but from the ground beneath the Mako.

He and Shepard's jaws both dropped as they watched out the windshield of the Mako, seeing the large shadow suddenly enveloping the Mako. Gunning it in reverse, Nick never took his eyes off the massive creature before them: a Thresher Maw.

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><p>AN: Well... this could be a problem. Also, let me know what you think of Nick/Liara's first kiss.


	15. Chapter 15 Predator or Prey

A/N: Well, ladies and gents, you have an extremely happy author; my parents held up their end of our bargain for my spring quarter grades, and your favorite author is now the proud owner of an iPad! Also, I apologize for the rather long delay; you see, I was a part of a local community musical production of Cinderella, which just finished. Sleep by itself was hard enough to come by, let alone anything else. I also finally found time to sit my ass down and actually type!

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><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 15

Nick had to resist the urge to wet himself, staring up at the monstrosity of a creature in front of them. Without waiting for the commander to give him an order, Nick jerked the controls to the left, gunning the throttle on the Mako. His action proved to be a boon, as the Thresher Maw reared back, flinging its head towards the ground to where the Mako had just been. Nick's jaw clenched as he felt the Mako reverberate from the vibrations caused by the impacting of the Maw into the ground. He watched the radar, looking at the large red blip as it moved further away from the blue dot in the center, the Mako practically flying across the surface of the ground.

Shepard called out from behind him, "Nick, you'd better not have been lying about your driving ability!"

Nick didn't respond, simply focusing on the controls of the Mako, swerving to avoid a ball of flying Maw acid. Checking the rear camera, his eyes widened as he saw the large beast dive back below the surface of the ground, likely to attempt overcoming them from below. Almost unconsciously, Nick flicked his wrist, his omni-tool activating. He quickly spun his fingers in a rapid jerk, causing the lower wheel to spin rapidly. After a second, he pressed a button, stopping the wheel and deactivating the device. An instant later, music began pumping through his Archon visor, the words 'The Friendly Faith Plate' appearing in the upper left hand corner of his vision, a grin slowly forming on his face at the random song playing in his ears.

Watching the ground, Nick nostrils flared as he saw the ground shift just below the Mako, a telltale sign of the Thresher Maw attempting to move in front of them. Thumbing the controls, he activated the right jets, keeping them powered, but only bursting the left jets, causing the Mako to noticeably tilt. He merely smiled, hearing a stream of swearing from behind him. Within moments, the Mako was high enough off the ground that Nick felt comfortable keeping all of the jets active, the large vehicle moving perpendicular to the ground. He waited two heartbeats, then deactivated the left jets entirely, causing the Mako to make a complete barrel-roll. Just before the semi-flying tank impacted on the ground, Nick flared the jets, softening the landing blow on the axels.

* * *

><p>Art let out a groan as the Mako began to noticeably tilt, an effect of the thrusters being fired. A moment later, everyone in the back could feel the vehicle lift off the ground, propelled by the thrusters on the underside of the APC. Ian started swearing rather colorfully as their entire world began to turn completely sideways, their inner ears telling them the left wall was where the direction of gravity was located. All of them winced as Liara let out a yelp, her harness nearly coming lose as a segment of it snapped apart.<p>

As the Mako continued to spin, gravity letting them all know that they were spinning upside down, no one had it in them to open their mouths, for fear of losing the contents of their stomachs. Finally, mercifully, the Mako returned to its upright position, the wheels once again propelling the vehicle across the ground. Brendan uttered the words all of them were thinking, "If Nick does that again, I think I may kill him."

* * *

><p>Checking the radar, he saw the Thresher Maw off on the left flank, tossing more acid their way. He called over his shoulder, "Hey commander, think you could put the heat onto that overgrown worm?"<p>

The Spectre immediately yelled back, "Only if you stop pulling shit like that!"

Nick's only response was laughter, his head bobbing to the beat of the music. His amusement only increased as he felt the shudder pass through the hull of the Mako, a clear indicator of the main gun being fired off at the Thresher Maw. Nick risked a glance out the window to watch the shell impact against the monster's thick hide, taking out a chunk of armored flesh in the process. He could hear the beast let out a scream of pain, even through the hull of the Mako and the pounding of the music.

As he drove, Vis'da'an's voice sounded within his head, *Nick, you should be extremely careful; I have fought these demons before, and rarely was I able to walk away with no casualties.*

He just mentally shrugged, *Relax, Vis; so long as it doesn't hit the Mako, we'll be fine.*

Whatever the Prothean was about to say next was lost as Nick was forced to swerve the vehicle to the right, further into the Thresher's nest, as the Maw burst out from the ground directly in front of the tank. Risking a glance back towards the commander, he called out, "Shepard, I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!" Looking out the window, he continued, "I'm going to try to make a break for those hills!"

He heard the Spectre's response, "If you think we can make it, then go for it!"

Nick gunned the throttle, the vehicle's front two tires lifting slightly off the ground from the sudden acceleration, rapidly moving across the stretch of flat ground that made up the Thresher Maw's nest. He checked the radar, grimacing as he realized the monstrosity was underground, not showing up anywhere on the sensors. As he drove, he couldn't shake a gut feeling forming like a rock in his abdomen. On a whim, he turned the vehicle slightly to the left, the vehicle turning only a small bit.

Only a few moments later, the Thresher Maw erupted from the ground, grazing the side of the Mako as it rose from where the Mako would have been had it not been for the change in direction. Nick grabbed ahold of the console in front of him as the vehicle began to flip uncontrollably. He yelled out, "Hang on!"

Nick felt the world around him slow down, the ground approaching the windshield seeming to slow to a crawl, enough so that he could almost discern the various details of the rocks scattered about. In a single heartbeat, the world sped back up, the windshield shattering around him as it impacted against the ground, the wind roaring as the pressurization within the Mako was lost to the thin atmosphere of the planet around them. He felt the retractable jaw-piece extend from around his Archon visor, quickly snapping into place just below his mouth, as a kinetic barrier formed around his face, allowing him to breathe despite the lack of air.

As the vehicle continued to roll, Nick's eyes widened in realization, and he tried to look behind him, to see if the Mako's cargo bay had sealed itself off. Before he could get a look, the vehicle came to an abrupt halt, launching his head forward into the console before him. His head swam as he tried to regain his senses. He could vaguely make out the shape of a red and grey helmet in front of him, as hands pried the restraints off of his chest. He could only hear a ringing in his ears, as though some kind of loud explosion had gone off.

All at once, a roaring sound brought him out of his stupor, the noise causing the entire vehicle to shake. Nick shook his head, clearing it as best he could, before waving off Shepard from trying to help him, and moved towards the back of the Mako. He began to pound on the hatch, trying to see if anyone would respond.

* * *

><p>Liara's head swam, and as she tried to put a hand to her forehead, she realized that her helmet was still in place. She also realized just how fortunate she was in that regard, as she looked towards the back of the Mako, only to see the rear hatch shorn off, along with a segment of the vehicle's frame. Looking around the cabin, she saw Ian out of his harness, helping Brendan slide a helmet over his head, the latter gasping for air in the thin atmosphere. Continuing to scan the cargo bay of the Mako, her heart-rate spiked as she realized Art was nowhere to be found. Without speaking, she quickly pulled the harness off of her, and ran to the forcibly opened side of the tank, and scanned around the wreckage as fast as she could focus on the ground.<p>

A few meters away, she located Art, and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw that he had managed to put on a helmet before the decompression of the cargo bay; she smiled as she noticed he was moving, slowly attempting to pull himself to his feet. Her smile, however, disappeared, her blood turning cold, as the sound of the Thresher Maw releasing a hideous roar reached her ears, travelling through the thin air with a volume and intensity she would not have thought possible. Without a second thought, she jumped down from the Mako, running as fast as she could towards Art, noticing the Maw dropping back below the ground out of her peripheral vision.

* * *

><p>After hitting the door two or three times, the automatic system kicked in, allowing the door to slide open. Nick quickly stepped into the cargo bay, his eyes darting back and forth looking for Liara. In the back of his mind, he distantly noticed Ian and Brendan off to one side, Brendan hunched over as though he were trying to catch his breath, a helmet obscuring his features. He felt his heart nearly stop as he realized that neither Art nor Liara were within the confines of the Mako's cargo bay. He immediately ran towards the back of the Mako, the door seemingly missing, only vaguely hearing Shepard yell out something from behind him.<p>

As he reached the edge, he stopped dead in his tracks, his arm shooting out to grip the shorn lip of metal off to the side; he saw Liara lifting Art to his feet, helping to support his weight as he struggled to stand on his own two feet. His eyes, however, did not remain on the two; rather, they focused on the ground that was quickly being misplaced a short distance away, the beast beneath the surface moving ever closer at a rapid pace. Nick yelled out, "Liara! It's coming!" As though in slow motion, the Asari's head turned back, and Nick swore he could hear the gasp come from her throat as she saw the Thresher Maw quickly advancing upon them.

Within the space of a heartbeat, the monster burst forth from the ground, scant meters away from Liara and Art, both of them rooted in place, frozen at the sight of the behemoth towering over them, screaming out its fury. Nick watched, helplessly, as the Thresher Maw turned down towards the two, and rearing back, lobbed a massive globule of acidic spit towards them. Liara and Art both turned, clinging to each other, futilely attempting to protect themselves and each other from the liquid death mere milliseconds away from them. Nick's eyes widened, his arm stretching toward them, screaming.

"NO!"

* * *

><p>Liara clung to Art, her eyes squeezed shut, as she awaited the acid to rain down on the two of them, killing them both almost instantly. She heard Nick screaming, the sound causing her heart to nearly rend apart, feeling as though she were letting him down for dying so soon after discovering her feelings towards him. She began to count her heartbeats; one, two, three... slowly, she opened her eyes, and risked a glance upwards. Her jaw immediately fell open at the sight; the Maw acid was lazily floating in the air, surrounded by a large blue biotic field. Above that, sat the Thresher Maw, staring down at the floating acid, its head tilted in obvious confusion. Liara turned back towards the Mako after a few moments, only to gasp aloud as she saw Nick standing there, his body bathed in biotic energy. What caught her attention, however, wasn't his biotics; rather, it was his eyes, visible due to his visor being deactivated and clear, which had completely lost all color, being filled with a pure black, the likes of which she had only seen in the eyes of an Asari during a meld. Despite the strangeness of it, Liara took full advantage, readjusting Art's arm over her shoulders, and began walking the two of them towards the Mako, being the nearest point of protection.<p>

* * *

><p>Nick saw through his own eyes, but found that he wasn't in control of his body anymore. He tried desperately to do anything, wiggle his fingers, twitch his nose. A rising sense of panic began to creep through him as he found his own body seemingly rebelling against him. After a moment, he suddenly felt himself being pulled away from his body, all senses of perception seeming as though they were being pulled away from him, squeezed through a funnel, as it were. As they vanished, there was a moment of pure darkness, before a sort of quasi-ground formed beneath his "feet" giving him some sense of place. Looking around, Nick's apprehension lessened as he found himself once again face to face with Vis'da'an. He didn't wait for the Prothean to speak, however.<p>

*What's going on? Why have I lost control of my body?*

*It seems as though you humans possess a strange mental capacity, almost an instinctual consciousness within your own mind. This other presence is what has taken control.*

Nick's eyes widened at the Prothean, his jaw dropping. *You mean to tell me that my subconsciousness is controlling my body? How could that even be possible?*

Vis'da'an simply shook her head, *I am unsure, Nicholas.* She began to pace, as though she were considering something. Finally, she spoke again, *When we Protheans would see one of our loved ones in danger, our minds would go into a type of hyper-awareness, and we would immediately react to the danger, to try to protect them. It was something that was instinctual, carried over from our evolution on our own homeworld. That doesn't explain what could have happened here, though...*

Nick just let out a sigh, shaking his head, *Unfortunately, V, I think it does. My body tried to do the same thing; problem is, the human mind has what we like to call our subconscious mind, something we can't map or control. Sometimes, it can give us promptings and thoughts that seemingly come out of thin air. Most of the time, it's our subconscious minds that take care of most of our bodies' instinctual actions and reactions.* He turned away from her, looking out through the vast, empty expanse that seemed to serve as his mental 'playing field,' *Now I just have to figure out how to get back out.*

* * *

><p>Ian threw himself towards the back of the Mako as he heard Nick let out a blood curdling scream. He grabbed ahold of the warped frame, stopping himself from flying out the opening, as his eyes came to rest on Art and Liara. His brow furrowed in confusion as he saw the glob of acid floating in the air, but his confusion disappeared as he saw Nick's arm outstretched towards his, surrounded in a biotic glow. "Holy shit, Nick; that's impressive, even for you!" He smirked, waiting for a response, but his smile faded as Nick failed to speak at all, his arm still outstretched. "Uh... Nick?"<p>

Ian moved forward to look at Nick's face, only for his eyes to go wide at the sight of his black eyes, seemingly void of all life and emotion, his facial expression as blank as his eyes were black. Ian practically jumped back as Nick finally moved, his arm merely twitching upward. The sound of the Thresher Maw roaring caught his attention, and Ian jerked his head around, his surprise quadrupling at the sight of the Maw's acid coating its own face, steam and smoke rising from the contact, especially around its eyes. Ian began to turn to congratulate Nick on the idea, when a blur shot past him, moving rapidly towards the behemoth worm.

"Nick! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Ian called out as he watched Nick cling to the Thresher Maw's armored plates, scaling them with the ease one would expect from a rock climber, using his biotics to steady himself. Ian held his gun in his hands, but didn't dare attempt to fire at the monster for fear of hitting the human scaling it. The Maw, noticing the diminutive human on its body, began to buck wildly, trying to shake Nick off, but he held on, somehow, continuing to climb up the beasts' body, until he reached its head. The Maw began to spear its mandibles around its head, gyrating them in as many ways as it could to try to skewer Nick. He simply waited for one to pass him, before grabbing ahold of it, just above the razor sharp blade, hanging on as the Maw pulled it away, flailing it about.

The Maw brought its other mandible to bear, likely trying to stab Nick, but he flipped above the blade, using his biotics to pull the other mandible he had just been clinging to into the path of the first one. The shriek of pain emanating from the Maw was unlike anything Ian had ever heard in his life, as the now severed mandible fell to the ground, twitching violently. He watched, horrified, as Nick began to fall towards the ground, seemingly uninterested in continuing his wrestling with the Maw. Within moments, he was surrounded in his biotics, and he reached out, halting the falling mandible with one hand, before flinging it back towards its owner. All sound stopped as the blade of the mandible pierced the Thresher Maw's head, appearing to have hit something vital, gravity taking hold on the now lifeless monstrosity, all of its weight falling backwards towards the ground. Ian held onto the Mako as the world around him shook from the impact, trying to stay on his own two feet. He managed to look back up, just as Nick flared brilliantly bright, the blue color tinting the light in the immediate vicinity, as he came to a soft, gentle landing onto the ground.

Ian jumped down from the Mako, allowing Liara to take Art inside, as he ran towards Nick, a smile on his face beneath his helmet. As he approached, he noticed Nick was facing away from him, looking at the now-deceased Thresher Maw, so he reached out, clapping him on the shoulder. "Nice job on th-"

He suddenly found he was unable to speak, and that the world around him was suddenly in motion. Then he felt himself impact against the ground, his body rolling along the surface, every rock in his path seeming to impact against some part of him. He groaned as he finally came to a halt, facing the sky. Slowly, carefully, Ian lifted himself from the ground into a sitting position, one arm wrapped around his chest, feeling his ribs flaring up again, painful enough for him to consider the possibility of them being broke again. The pain was soon forgotten, however, as a bright blur appeared above him, and he saw Nick practically materialize out of thin air, his feet landing on either side of Ian's legs, causing him to fall backwards against the ground. Looking into his eyes, Ian could tell, somehow, that Nick wasn't there; that there seemed to be something... else, in control. They just stared at each other for a moment, when the sound of gunfire caught both their attention.

* * *

><p>As Shepard saw Nick pummel Ian across the desert, she pulled out her sniper rifle without hesitation, and attempted to line up a shot with his head. Before she could pull the trigger, Nick seemed to disappear. She pulled her head away from the scope, growling, before finding him standing over Ian's prone body. The Commander quickly lined her sights up again, zeroing in on Nick's head. As the mutant just stood there, she pulled the trigger to end his life, the high caliber round travelling the distance in almost no time flat. However, that time seemed to be just enough for the freak to put up some kind of hyper-strong barrier, deflecting the shot with relative ease. Nick turned away from Ian, facing her, and before she could line up a second shot, his hand raised up, and she felt herself being lifted into the air, no longer in control of her own motion. A cracking sound caused her heart to nearly stop; a crevice was beginning to form along the center of her visor, either caused or aided by Nick's biotic energy, and was continuing to grow longer and longer the more he pressed upon her with his biotics. She knew that unless a miracle happened, her life would be over shortly.<p>

That miracle came when Liara called out to him.

* * *

><p>"Nick!"<p>

It felt as though his mind was being sucked through a straw, suffocating him, forcing him to endure all manner of pain, as though every cell in his body was on fire. An instant later, it was over, and he found himself on his hands and knees, shaking profusely, incredibly weak. He tried to gasp for air, to give oxygen to the cells in his body that screamed for it, to fill his lungs with the air that they could not get enough of. He could vaguely hear the sound of approaching footsteps, and he tried to look up on his own, only to nearly collapse from the fatigue. Nick felt a set of feminine hands on his shoulders, lifting his torso up, only to find himself staring into Liara's bright blue eyes through her helmet, rimmed with tears. Before he could even begin to formulate any words, the Asari jerked forward, her arms wrapping around his shoulders, openly sobbing. He weakly put his own arms around her, trying his best not to lean on her as he tried to comfort her.

The comforting didn't last long, as the sound of a weapon being primed caught Nick's attention. He looked up towards the sound, only to see Shepard slowly walking towards them, holding her shotgun in hand, pointed towards him. "Liara, move away from that thing."

Nick's eyes widened at her tone, but Liara responded first, "What are you talking about?" The asari stood, keeping herself between Nick and the commander. "Why do you refer to Nick as a 'thing'?"

"I refer to him like that because that's what he is; a thing, a freak of nature, an accident. Sure, he took down that Thresher Maw; he immediately followed that up with attempting to kill off one of his squadmates. Then he tried to kill me. I'm going to put him down like the animal he is. Move. Out. Of. My. Way. Liara."

Liara's biotics flared around her body, "I can't let you do that, commander. I can't, and I won't." Before Shepard could respond, the sounds of more weapons priming could be heard. Shepard glanced over her shoulder, and Nick's gaze followed, only to see Brendan and Art pointing their guns at her back. Looking behind himself, he could see Ian off to the side, still lying prone, holding his sniper rifle pointed at her. Ian spoke aloud, seemingly for the group as a whole.

"We won't let you hurt Nick. Sure, he lost control. But if he hadn't, we would have all ended up being dinner for that Thresher Maw. Not to mention you had no idea if he was going to kill me or not; if anything, I shouldn't have approached him like I did. I knew something was off when I saw his eyes that black color."

Nick cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention, "Um... exactly what happened? The last thing I remember was reaching out towards Liara as the Maw spit the acid at her."

Shepard let out a snort of derision, "How convenient, for you to completely forget about nearly killing Ian, as well as me."

Ian shot back, "Maybe you shouldn't have tried to shoot him with your sniper rifle!"

Before anyone else could speak, the sound of the Normandy approaching caught all of their attention, causing them all to slightly lower their guns. The ship quickly lowered into position, hovering just above the ground, as the cargo bay opened, allowing most of the ship's marine contingent to come pouring out, all standing with their weapons at parade rest. Kaidan, as well as the rest of the ground team, filed out behind them, coming up to the scene of the Mexican stand-off. Shepard spoke, still holding her shotgun towards Liara and Nick, "Alenko, I order you to escort Liara aboard the ship, so that the freak may be dealt with."

Kaidan hesitated, before squaring his shoulders, "I'm afraid I can't do that, ma'am."

The Spectre visibly flinched at that, dropping her gun to turn towards the LT. "W-what?"

Kaidan continued, "I can't do that, ma'am. I owe Nick my life; I repay that debt by saving his, today."

Shepard's eyes visibly narrowed behind her visor, before she shrugged, holstering her shotgun. "Very well, lieutenant. But he's your responsibility, now. Whatever trouble or damage he causes will be directly reflected upon your own record."

Kaidan closed his eyes, letting out a sigh, before nodding. "Yes, ma'am."

Without another word, Shepard stalked aboard the ship, leaving behind a large number of confused marines and others. As the marines filed back aboard the ship, Liara turned towards Nick, helping him to his feet. She could hear his rapid breathing. "I... I didn't do all that... did I? I mean, I wasn't... I didn't..."

Liara turned Nick to make him look at her, "Nick, do not focus on it right now. We will figure out what has happened later. For now, you should visit doctor Chakwas. She may be able to help you."

Nick just turned away, watching as Kaidan helped Ian limp back into the ship, one arm still around his chest. They quickly made it aboard the ship as the hangar bay door closed. Before he could say more, however, Ashley and Wrex stepped up to them, the Krogan smiling broadly. He slapped Nick on the shoulder, nearly sending both he and Liara to the ground, "That was a battle worthy of any warrior. Almost makes me wish I would have been there to fight alongside you."

Ashley simply rolled her eyes, "Yeah, sure Wrex." She turned to Nick, concern evident on her face, "We all watched and heard what happened through the Mako's camera systems, Nick. Did you do all of that intentionally? Or did you actually lose control?"

Nick met her gaze, eye to eye, and responded, "Ashley, I don't even know what happened. I wasn't in control. One moment, I'm watching what I think is about to be the death of Art and Liara, and the next, I'm staring at the ground, barely able to move."

The chief nodded, "I believe you." After a moment, she smirked, "Besides, scuttle-butt says you couldn't do even a fraction of that shit with your biotics yet."

Nick rolled his eyes as she laughed at him, "No kidding. What exactly did I do, anyways?"

Ashley waved he and Liara forward, "Follow me; Joker recorded the whole thing, the spunky bastard."

* * *

><p>As soon as Nick had seen what he had done, he had politely excused himself from the cockpit, quickly walking away down through the CIC. So preoccupied in his thoughts, he didn't even notice the stares he received from most of the command crew, Pressley included. Before he knew it, he found himself back in Liara's office, though she was still up in the cockpit with the rest of the ground team that had watched his fight with the Thresher Maw for a second time. He waved his omni-tool over the door, causing it to lock shut. Once it had done so, Nick walked over to the nearest wall and began punching the wall as hard as he could, every hit, every throb of pain, just adding to his own self-loathing and fury. It didn't take long for his abnormally low energy levels to deplete, causing him to wearily sink to the floor, breathing heavily, cursing himself and what he had become. Mercifully, Vis'da'an did not say anything, but simply let him vent off his frustration.<p>

Nick simply laid his head down on his folded arms, his knees up almost to his chin. If not for the wall holding him up, he would have likely slipped onto the floor completely. As he sat there, brooding, only one thought travelled through his mind, over and over again.

"I am a monster."

(Insert line)

A/N: Wow. Now what? Who knows?


	16. Chapter 16 When Friends Intervene

A/N: Thanks be to the Beta, iNf3ctioNZ for his absolutely stellar job in keeping me from failing epically at this.

Sarge1995: Um, not sure where you got the "beating to death" part from, b/c that's not what happened. Nick climbed the Thresher Maw, hung from it's mandible, avoided getting stabbed by the other mandible, used his biotics to pull mandible 1 thru mandible 2 to slice it off, caught it mid-fall, and biotically flung it up through the Maw's skull, killing it.

ArchAngelGundam: Yes, I know Shepard isn't quite lovable and cuddly, but there are more things to her than meet the eye.

M-Angel 05: iPad 2. Hugs. Heh, made me laugh.

Herr Wozzeck: well, if it wasn't just so funny to me to have you be the "damsel" in distress, I'd find someone else to do it. Of course, you could always take Ian's spot of being the human rag-doll. With Shepard, there's more than meets the eye. You will see.

Dreaded-Death-X: Yeah, didn't see you in chapters 13 or 14, if memory serves correctly. Meh, w/e. Yeah, I'm sick of "pure paragons." Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with them, and I usually play paragon in-game. That being said, I wanted a bit of a fresh perspective, a Shepard we don't automatically fall in love with. Yeah, I have entirely too much fun beating up on Ian. Speaking of a little insane... well, you'll see.

The Great D: I've really tried to make this into something people will enjoy reading, but still have fun with writing it at the same time. Not the easiest thing to do, let me tell you. No, making things too easy, or as you put it, "Wish fulfillment," wouldn't be realistic. Granted, it's all sci-fi, but I'm doing the best I can to keep it _somewhat _realistic. Not having a great deal of writing experience other than what you see here on FF, I try my best to do justice to the characters in my story. Sorry if I'm not quite succeeding. As for "unnecessary exposition," I would rather put in too much than not enough. That, and some of it could conceivably come into play later on. Yes, Shepard's persona here has plot-direction. She's not just a total bitch for no reason. Finally, I'm glad you've enjoyed my story thus far. I'm finding the more detail I put into this story, the further away some of my future plot points seem to get, so this will be quite a long ride, and I hope you enjoy it enough to stick with me for most, if not all of the ride.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 16

Commander Shepard practically jogged back towards her quarters from the hangar, the glare on her face evidence enough for any crew-member thinking of stopping her to reconsider. Stepping into the elevator, she tapped her foot anxiously as the doors closed, the lift moving eternally slow. She bit her bottom lip, holding in her emotions as best as she could, not wanting anyone to see her facade break open. Finally, the lift reached the top, and she stormed out of it, immediately turning to the right to enter her quarters. As soon as she stepped within the threshold and the door closed behind her, she slammed her hand onto the locking mechanism, and she felt tears slide down her face. She placed her hands onto her small table, half-falling into the chair at the storm of various emotions raging through her chest. She shook her head vigorously, trying to clear her head long enough to form some kind of coherent thoughts.

As she stared off into space, she spoke to the walls, not really expecting an answer, "It can't be him! It just can't be! I saw them kill him! It can't be him...

"Can it?"

* * *

><p>Nick nearly jumped in surprise when he heard the door unlock, then slide open. He didn't move, but simply sat there on the floor, where he was, and watched as Ian shuffled into the room, his gaze wandering around, up until it came down upon him sitting there. At first, neither one spoke, but simply stared at each other. Finally, Nick's gaze dropped down to the floor in shame. "I'm sorry, Ian. I never meant to-"<p>

Ian held up his hand, cutting Nick off. "Don't apologize to me, Nick. This wasn't your fault."

Nick looked back up at him, a quizzical look written across his face. "Not my fault? Ian, I damn near killed you!"

Ian shrugged, then slowly lowered himself to the floor, wincing and grabbing his bandaged chest while he did so, coming to a rest directly in front of Nick. "And if it hadn't been for you, that Thresher Maw would have been happily digesting all of us after trashing the Mako like that."

He just shook his head, "It wasn't me, Ian. I wasn't in control."

"I know."

Nick's head shot back up, looking Ian right in the eye, his own eyes wide. "You know?"

Nodding, Ian explained, "After you knocked me around a bit, you stared me right in the eye, just before Shepard tried to shoot you. I could see it in your eyes that you weren't really there; there was no emotion, no expression. It was like staring at stone."

He held Ian's gaze for a few moments, before letting out a sigh, looking downward again. "Ian... I don't know how many more surprises I can really handle. Becoming half-Prothean, sure, that wasn't too big a deal, before there were so many different problems involved. It's like... every time I seem to overcome one obstacle, and feel that I finally have a handle on things, two new hurdles are in my way, impeding my progress."

Nick looked up as Ian placed a hand on his shoulder, seeing a look of comfort plain on his face. "Look Nick, I won't pretend to understand what you're going through. But we're still here for you; all of us." Ian paused, before smirking, "And I do believe that a certain Asari has your back through thick and thin."

Rolling his eyes, Nick's features softened, a hint of a smile coming back to his face as he pushed Ian's hand off of his shoulder. "Whatever you say, Turian lover-boy."

Ian scoffed as he stood up, offering Nick a hand, "Hey, keep my love life out of this."

Nick's face lit up in a full-fledged smirk, "What for? I think it's funny; especially the way you get tongue-tied after a little one on one time with Solana's mouth."

Ian playfully punched at Nick's shoulder, who managed to dodge out of the way, leaving the two men taking false swings at each other, laughing. After the third or fourth swing, Ian extended his hand towards Nick, "Better?"

Nick looked down at the offered hand, before taking it, shaking his hand. "Better."

As Ian turned and began walking to the door, it slid open, revealing Liara standing there. He immediately stood aside, allowing her to enter. Before he left, however, he turned back to Nick, giving him a wink, then leaving in a hurry before he could respond. Much to Nick's relief, Liara did not seem to notice, having not watched Ian's departure.

"Nick, how are you feeling?"

Nick shrugged as he took a few steps towards the desk, spinning the chair around for him to sit in. "Not quite as bad as I was before Ian paid me a visit. He helped to talk a little sense into me, made sure I knew his feelings on the matter."

Liara smiled at this, her eyes lighting up a bit. "That is good, Nick. I am grateful that he does not harbor any hard feelings towards you for this incident."

Nick's demeanor changed, sagging a bit as his eyes fell to the floor. "Yeah... this time..."

Liara's brow ridge furrowed, and she pulled up a chair, sitting down in front of Nick. "What do you mean?"

He kept his eyes towards the floor as he spoke, "Liara... this wasn't a one time thing. That could happen to me again, and who knows what could happen the next time? I may not be able to regain control from myself again." Looking up from the floor, staring into her eyes, he continued, "Could you take that, Liara? Knowing that the next time I lose control, I may never be able to find my way back?"

Liara's eyes widened, and she shook her head, grabbing Nick's hands, "Do not say things like that, Nicholas!"

He grimaced, half-growling to himself as he stood up, stepping away from Liara and pacing through the small room. "Liara, I'm not playing games, or talking about theories; I completely lost control to myself down there, and it wasn't me that gained control afterwards. I don't know what did it, but it was not me." He paused, collecting his thoughts, before continuing, "Whatever is the cause of this, I am not safe to be around, for anyone; not you, not Art, Ian or Brendan, not anyone."

Liara stood from her seat, moving to stand directly in front of him, "So you would just take it upon yourself to leave the rest of us, then? Abandon us here aboard the Normandy, after making the decision to come this far?" She turned slightly away, a slight blush creeping across her face. "Y-you would just abandon me?"

Nick began pacing again, his mind racing to try to keep up with where things were leading. "I still can't figure out what it is you even see in me; maybe you just find me fascinating because of my being half-Prothean, or maybe it has something to do with my having saved your life multiple times. Fact is, you'd probably be better off with someone better suited to you, Liara; someone who isn't a freak of nature, a monster."

Nick stood in place, waiting a moment for Liara's response. He didn't expect to feel her hand roughly spin him around, only to receive a hard smack across his face, causing his cheek to burn brightly, his head recoiling slightly from the force of the blow. He stood back up, eyes wide, cradling his face, when Liara was upon him, her lips pressed against his, keeping him from speaking. He barely noticed how her arms wrapped around his neck, holding them close together. She held the kiss for a few moments, before pulling her lips away, pressing her forehead against his.

"Nicholas Perry, you are _not _a monster. And while I may find it fascinating how you even survived such an occurrence of being transformed into what you are now, my feelings for you are their own, quite separate from my professional opinions. I care about you, Nicholas, and I know that you care about me; otherwise, why would you have flung yourself at that Thresher Maw the way you did?"

The Asari began to smile broadly, her eyes lighting up, as Nick began to blush profusely, his gaze looking anywhere but her. "Well, I, um, I mean, i-it was nothing, really..."

Liara silenced his rambling as she gently pressed her lips against his, feeling her heart soar as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.

* * *

><p>Jocelyn glanced up from her terminal as she heard Joker mutter under his breath. Leaning over, she scowled as she realized what he was doing.<p>

"You know, one of these days Nick and Liara are going to find out you're spying on them, and one of them will hit you with their biotics until your bones are nothing more than a paste soupy enough to make a piñata, which will likely be made out of whatever's left of your body." Joker just snickered at her, never taking his eyes off the screen at the sight of Nick and Liara kissing. Joc just let out a sigh, "Ugh, perv."

* * *

><p>Commander Shepard sat at her terminal, attempting to work on a report to send in to the Alliance, but each time she thought back, her emotions threatened to overwhelm her again. Thankfully, a chime at her door caught her attention, and she stood to answer the door, her arms instinctually moving behind her back as the door slid open, revealing Garrus standing there. He spoke first, addressing her, "Commander."<p>

Shepard smiled slightly, "Hello Mr. Vakarian. Was there something you needed?"

The Turian shrugged, glancing around the room, his mandibles twitching slightly. "Uh, just Garrus, please; Mr. Vakarian makes me feel like my father. I was checking in for a new assignment; with our lack of a Mako aboard to calibrate..." Garrus shrugged again, likely figuring his point was as well-made as he could make it.

The Commander nodded, and picked up a data-pad, scanning its contents. "I'm sure we can find something for you to work on until we're able to requisition a new Mako."

Garrus nodded, and began to turn, but hesitated, looking back. "Commander, is everything all right?"

Shepard glanced up from her data-pad, her brow furrowed, "Why do you ask?"

Garrus' mandibles began to gyrate, a few of his visible plates along his neck shifting, "Well, you acted as though you had some pent up emotions when you came aboard the ship, and thought I would see if I could help."

A single eyebrow raised at his statement, "You want to try to be my therapist?"

The Turian's eyes widened slightly, and he quickly shook his head, "No, nothing like that." His eyes began to shift rapidly, as though he were sifting through his thoughts to find the right words. "This ship is so much different from Turian ships; when Turians have pent up stress and emotion, we use hand-to-hand combat to relax, to calm ourselves."

The Commander let out a heart-felt laugh, "So you're offering to be my sparring partner?"

Garrus nodded, "Something like that."

Shepard thought on it for a few moments, before nodding, "That would be acceptable, Garrus. We'll set up a sparring time later tonight, after dinner."

He nodded again, before turning and walking out of her quarters, leaving the Spectre with more questions than she had answers for.

* * *

><p>Art worked at his terminal, his mind going over what had happened with the Thresher Maw, the thought of how close he had been to death still bothering him. The sound of quiet laughter, however, brought him out of his reverie. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brendan at Tali working on an exposed wall panel, working in the wiring and circuitry. While he couldn't see Tali's face, he could clearly see the smile practically written on Brendan's face. His eyes narrowed, and he turned back towards his terminal, a completely new set of thoughts keeping Art's mind occupied.<p>

* * *

><p>This is Citadel News Net, I'm Emily Wong. In a shocking turn of events, a series of bombings were orchestrated on various planets, including Earth, Illium, Thessia, as well as the Citadel itself. At each site a manifesto was found, belonging to an organization titled 'Terra Dominus.' Officials believe this group to be the name taken by the defectors from Cerberus and the Terra Firma party. Thankfully, reports indicate that no one was killed in any of the explosions, though there were numerous injuries.<p>

In other news, footage has been leaked from the recent attack on Eden Prime, with clips showing footage of the Geth troops moving across the surface, as well as a still image of a so-called 'Reaper.' Most shocking, however, was an image depicting reknowned Spectre Saren Arterius working with the Geth. Alliance Officials are bombarding the Council with questions, though no official statement has been released by the Council as of yet.

* * *

><p>Nick sat meditating within Liara's office while she worked at her computer, neither one saying anything. Having spent what he felt to be an adequate amount of time simply meditating, Nick pushed his mind deeper, until he became less aware of his body, and more aware of the mental zone that seemed to reside within his mind. He found himself standing in front of Vis'da'an, the Prothean looking directly at him.<p>

*_It would seem to me that Liara has helped you through a great deal, has she not?_*

Nick nodded, *She has. I haven't quite come to terms yet with who and what I am yet, but it helps knowing she's there for me.*

The Prothean smiled, *_Then fear not, young one. If I am not mistaken, that is not what you came to me to discuss._*

Nick looked away, and began pacing in front of Vis'da'an. *I still haven't been able to figure out what happened when I lost control, or how I regained contol at all.*

*_I am afraid that I cannot help you with this, Nicholas. It is a journey you must undertake yourself._*

He turned towards her, a questioning look on his face. *What do you mean, a journey?*

*_I mean a journey through your own mind; to find your subconscious mind, and to ask it the things you desire to know._*

Nick's brow furrowed in confusion. *Wait, you're telling me I should go _deeper_ inside my own head?*

The Prothean nodded. Without saying another word, Vis'da'an simply vanished, leaving Nick to stand there, confused. He looked around, trying to imagine how he could possibly go deeper into his own mind. As he continued to look, his eyes came to rest on a door, a scant few feet from him, that had not been there before. Rolling his eyes at the absurdity of a magically appearing door, he stepped over, opening the door. As he did so, he was assaulted with the sight of another stretch of infinite nothingness, but this stretch took on a reddish hue, rather than the grey color that dominated the one he was currently in. With a shrug, Nick stepped through the door, moving into this new stretch of his mind.

He took a few steps, then jumped at the sound of the door slamming shut. He spun around, only to find the door gone, replaced with a line of people; rather, a line of people who looked exactly like him, each one with different colored eyes. The one with golden eyes spoke, "Welcome to your mind, Nick. It's so nice to finally be able to talk to you."

Nick looked between all of them, asking, *Who are you? What do you want?*

Gold eyes spoke again, "Oh, don't worry. We aren't here to hurt you. After all, we **are** you, in a fashion. I'm your Anger." He began to gesture to the others, "Purple eyes over there is Passion, Blue eyes is Serenity, Green eyes is Logic, and White eyes down there is Kindness."

Nick jumped at the sound of a near-inhuman scream, and his eyes were drawn to what appeared to be a large chest, chained, shaking as though there were something trying to get out. He pointed at it, *What's in there?*

Anger just let out a sigh, "That's Pyro. We try not to let him out much, but sometimes he manages to escape."

Nick gave Anger an incredulous look. *You're kidding, right?*

Logic responded, "Unfortunately, he is not."

Nick stared for a moment longer, before shaking his head, trying to clear his thoughts. *Ok, whatever. I want to know what happened down with that Thresher Maw when I lost control. Which one of you took control of my body for that?*

All of the emotions in front of him began shuffling around nervously, none responding to his question. He opened his mouth to ask again, when a cold voice sounded out from behind him, almost a hiss, making his spine curl. "_I did..._"

Nick slowly turned around, only to find himself staring at another version of him; this one with black eyes, and extremely pale skin. *Who are you?*

The other just smiled a rather toothy grin, before responding, "I'm your dark side; I am Evil. You know, that voice you don't like to listen to? I'm used to being ignored by you, but when that opportunity came, to just... _take control..._ I couldn't resist."

Nick unconsciously took a step back from Evil, speaking as he did so, *Did you give up control?*

Evil simply scowled, his black eyes betraying no emotion, "I wasn't given a choice. I was forced away, back into the recesses of your mind."

*By what?*

Evil gave Nick an amused grin, "By you, of course." Seeing the shock on Nick's face, he elaborated, "You see, when that Asari pet of yours called out your name, you clambored back into control of your body with more passionate vigor than even Passion could have managed from in here."

Nick opened his mouth to speak, but felt something tugging at him, pulling him away. With a sudden jerk, he found himself back in Liara's office, still sitting, with Liara shaking his shoulder, concern evident on her face.

"Nick, are you well?"

He stared at her for a few moments, dazed, before nodding, "Yeah... I think I'm ok. Why?"

Liara, still looking concerned, replied, "You were in meditations for over four hours. What happened?"

Nick pulled himself off the floor, then after helping her off the floor, told her, "Well, I was talking with Vis'da'an, and I delved deeper into my mind. I essentially met up with six different personality types that make up my subconscious mind. It was... strange, to say the least."

Liara nodded, "Yes, I would imagine it would be."

Just then, the ship-wide intercom activated, and Commander Shepard's voice sounded out, "We are approaching the Citadel. Due to current circumstances, I am granting the rest of today for shore-leave." She paused as the crew let out a cheer. "I expect everyone to be back aboard the ship and ready for duty by tomorrow, at 1200 hours." With that, the intercom deactivated, and a new round of cheers sounded through the ship, audible even within the small office space.

Nick turned to Liara, smiling, "I've never seen the Citadel. This should be fun."

Liara smiled back at him, "Yes, I do believe so. Was there anything in particular you wished to see aboard the Citadel?"

Nick gave her a funny look, "How would I know what's there if I've never been there?" He shrugged, then continued, "How about somewhere nice to eat?"

She nodded, "I know of a few places."

Extending his arm, his eyes twinkled as he responded, "Well then, shall we?"

Liara looked at his arm first, then up at him, curious, "Nick... are you asking me for a date?"

He looked up towards the ceiling, a mock-thoughtful look on his face. "I had considered the thought, so long as you don't mind."

In response, she put her hand within his proferred arm, "Who am I to say no to such an offer, then?"

The two of them stepped out of the room, passing Doctor Chakwas with a curteous nod, and out into the mess hall. Both Nick and Liara turned when they heard Kaidan and Ashley talking nearby. Kaidan turned towards them, noticing them first. "So, where are you two headed?"

Nick spoke up, "Well, I was going to take Liara here out to eat tonight."

Kaidan made as if to respond, but Ashley pushed him aside, stepping up to Liara, "So the two of you are going on a date, huh? Well, if that's the case..." Ashley started tugging on Liara's other arm, pulling her away, "You need something better than your lab uniform." Nick tried as hard as he could not to laugh at the look of helplessness on Liara's face as she was pulled away from him, half-dragged by the chief. "Don't worry, Nick, I'll have her ready in an hour or two."

He and Kaidan simply stood there, watching the two women leave. After a few moments of silence, Nick turned towards the lieutenant. "I'm not sure if I should be concerned, or flat out worried right now."

Not turning to look at him, Kaidan response was simple; "Both."

Nick's attention diverted at the sound of quiet laughter coming from the mess table. Glancing over, he saw Ian, Art, and Brendan all sitting there, smirking at him. He stepped over towards them, taking the last empty chair at the table. "What's so funny?"

Brendan spoke up, "Well, judging from how Ashley dragged Liara out of here, we're all making bets as to how long you'll be knocked speechless once you see how Ashley dresses Liara up for this date."

Art chimed in, "Hey, if they're going on a date, and Liara's dressing up for it, shouldn't we get _you _dressed up as well?" All eyes turned towards Nick, who suddenly felt as though he were under a very large microscope.

"B-but I don't even have anything formal to wear!"

Kaidan put his hand on Nick's shoulder, "Relax, kid. I think I've got something you can wear. If it doesn't fit right, then we can find you something to wear on the Citadel; there's a few clothing shops nearby that should have just what we'll need."

Nick groaned, smacking his forehead with the palm of his hand. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

The only response was laughter from everyone at the table.

* * *

><p>Liara tried to pull her hand away, but it was a fruitless effort. Ashley simply turned to look back at her, smiling, as she pulled her along to whatever destination the chief had in mind. "Relax, Liara. I'm just going to help you look your best for your first date together."<p>

Liara's eyes grew wide, "How did you know that it was our first date tonight?"

Ashley just laughed again, "Kiddo, I've got two younger sisters; I think I know enough about dating and relationships second and third hand to practically write a book. Now relax, all I'm going to do is get you into a nice dress to wear, for you to impress him."

"B-but-"

Ashley stopped long enough to hold up one finger in front of Liara's face. "No buts; you're coming with me, and we are going to make sure you look your best. Got it?" Williams' voice was one that brokered no room for argument.

Liara just nodded, meekly responding, "Yes, ma'am."

With that, the two women entered the small women's bathroom. Ashley let go of the Asari, and turning towards her, spoke, "Now, wait here while I go check through my stuff to see what dresses I have packed away."

Liara's brow furrowed, and she spoke before she realized what she was saying, "You have dresses?"

Ashley just smirked, "I know, I don't seem the type to have a dress or two tucked away, do I?" Seeing the look on Liara's face, she continued, "Hey, a girl's got to be prepared for any situation, formal wear included. Now wait here."

She did not have to wait long, as Ashley returned within a few minutes, carrying a small bundle under her arm. Opening the package, Liara could not help but gasp at the sight of the dress. Ashley smiled at the sight of her reaction. Her smile, however, faded after a few moments. Looking at Liara, she spoke her mind.

"So, you and Nick, huh?"

Liara nodded, her attention shifting from the dress onto the other woman. "Yes; it is strange, the circumstances in which we met. He has saved my life multiple times, has become something more than I could have ever dreamed of, and yet I find it is his personality that draws me in the most, along with the way he treats me."

Ashley nodded, "We call that type of behavior 'gentlemanly.' It's not something very many men do, but the ones who do stick out." After a moment, she let out a sigh, continuing, "It figures, I guess." At Liara's questioning glance, she elaborated, "By the time I finally find a guy who's interesting, _and_ a gentleman, he's already taken. I'm not complaining about him being with you... just wishing, I guess."

Liara put a comforting hand on Ashley's shoulder, "I understand. Thank you for your honesty. I am sure that one day you will find the right man for you." After a moment, Liara looked back towards the dress, her entire demeanor deflating, "Though I suspect you won't let me leave without putting on that dress, will you?"

Ashley's grin told her all she needed to know to answer that question.

* * *

><p>Nick grimaced as he pulled at the collar of the suit. Turning towards Kaidan, he spoke, "Are you sure this is the best thing to wear for a date?"<p>

Kaidan nodded, "It's the best thing I've got, and it fits you pretty well. I guarantee you won't find a suit as comfortable as that one in time for your date tonight." Nick simply groaned, still fidgeting with the collar.

Ian leaned in close to Nick's ear, whispering, "It looks like that one suit from Kasumi's heist."

Nick shooed Ian from his shoulder, "Yeah, I know Ian. I didn't need a reminder for that." With a sigh, he turned away from the mirror, and took a few steps forward. "Well, at least the shoes are comfortable enough."

Kaidan just laughed, "Of course they are. Why bother with an uncomfortable suit if your feet can't at least be comfortable?"

Nick turned towards the other man, "Kaidan, why do you have a suit like this?"

He just shrugged, glancing away as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Oh, you know, just in case I meet a nice girl and want to impress her."

Smiling, Nick started to press, "What, you mean a nice girl like Ash?"

Kaidan practically jumped, gasping, "Are you kidding? We'd be drummed out of the Alliance faster than you can say 'fraternization!"

A raised eyebrow was the only expression Nick had for him. "Kaidan, you work for a Spectre, now. Not the Alliance. Besides, the aforementioned Spectre could always be convinced to look the other way."

Kaidan just frowned, his brow furrowed, deep in thought. After a few moments, he just shook his head. "No, that would just be too risky. Anyways, don't you have a date to get to?"

Nick nodded, before letting out another sigh, fixing his collar, and turning for the door. "Alright; now that I feel like a monkey in a penguin suit, lets get this over with."

Stepping out of the mens' bathroom, Nick attempted to stretch as best he could, but the suit limited his range of motion, only serving to further irritate him. Hearing another door open, Nick turned to look at the source of the sound, only for every single thought in his mind to completely vanish. Strolling out of the womens' bathroom was both Ashley and Liara, but it was the Asari that had Nick's full focus and attention.

She was adorned in a flowing blue and silver metallic dress, the color depending on the angle of the light, the material fitting her form perfectly. It draped down close to her ankles, rippling like water. As his eyes rose, he noticed the round hole in the center, showing off a small portion of her stomach, as seemed to be the fashion. Continuing upward, he saw that the dress completely covered her entire chest, but contoured to it exactly, still showing it off without showing it all. Finally, a thin strap connected to either side of her neck, wrapping around the back, leaving her shoulders and arms bare. As Nick's eyes made it to Liara's face, he finally registered the timid, unsure look written across her face, as though she were looking for his approval.

She spoke as she approached him, "Do you think this is satisfactory?"

It took all of Nick's will-power to keep his jaw from dropping. "I, uh, um, it, uh... wow... it looks... wow..."

Liara began to blush as Nick stuttered over his words, trying to describe what he thought. Ashley stepped up next to the Asari, putting her arm around her shoulder, "That's guy speak for 'it looks absolutely beautiful.' They tend to do that when their brain stops working."

Liara's brow ridge furrowed in confusion, "But if his brain stopped working, then how would-"

Ashley cut her off before she could finish the question, "It's a figure of speech, Liara. It means he's so stunned that he can't think straight, let alone speak. If a guy is like that after seeing you dressed up, it's a very, very good thing." With that, Ashley gave her a pat on the shoulder, before stepping away, leaving Nick and Liara to stare at each other, their eyes never wavering from each other.

After what felt like forever of standing and staring at each other, Nick regained control of his tongue, and extended his arm towards her. "Shall we go, then?"

Liara's smile was the biggest he had ever seen on her, as she once again placed her hand within the crook of his shoulder. "Yes we shall."

* * *

><p>D'awww. How cuuuuute. In the next chapter, we get to see the date! And who knows, maybe things will work out so nothing goes wrong. pfft. right. because <em>nothing could possibly ever go wrong for Nick.<em>


	17. Chapter 17 Shock And Awe

A/N: Well, here it (finally) is. The next chapter; alas, there won't be another one for at least a week and a half. You see, my parents are the director & co-director of a four day festival. That starts this Thursday. Goodbye, life. Anyways, read, enjoy, and review if you particularly like/dislike something.

ArchAngelGundam: You could guess that... but you'd be wrong.

Sarge1995: Eh, Nick isn't a drinker. Parties, dancing, sure. But he doesn't do alcohol (as this is an SI, and *I* don't do alcohol.)

Herr Wozzeck: Eh, if only it were that simple. Alas...

Dreaded-DeathX: I understand; emotional distress totally sucks. I occasionally struggle with it, though not for very long periods. And in this chapter, we see much more than just a glimpse of the mind of the great Commander Shepard. We'll just have to see what the long-term effects will be on Nick's psyche.

Dgijim95: Nope, I didn't see what you did at all. Totally missed it completely.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 17

Nick couldn't help but occasionally glance over at Liara as the elevator continued its ascent towards the Presidium. Even being the third long elevator ride for the duo, he still felt absolutely giddy; giddy, but extremely nervous. No matter how hard he tried to focus, he could not banish the butterflies from his stomach, which felt as though it were attempting to perform backflips and somersaults inside his body. After a few minutes of this, Nick felt a hand touch his forearm. Glancing over, he saw the Asari staring at him, a slight look of concern. "Nick, are you well?"

He quickly forced a smile through, nodding, "Yeah, of c-course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

She shrugged, glancing away for a moment, before answering, "You seem as though you are troubled by something."

Nick looked away, towards the glass door, "Well... I'm just nervous, that's all."

Liara didn't even try to hide the curiosity from her voice. "Nervous? Why would you be nervous?"

Though the elevator did not have a great deal of room, Nick began to pace around, trying to formulate his feelings into words. "I hate to admit it, but this is my first date in my entire life."

"Really? Is that normal for most humans?"

He didn't mean to laugh at her question, but couldn't help a small chuckle, much to his own chagrin. "No, it's definitely not the norm for humans, especially my age. Where I grew up, almost everyone I knew had had some kind of relationship with another person at some point in their lives, up to and including sexual intercourse of varying degrees."

Liara didn't respond at first, a slow blush creeping up her neck. "O-oh. That is... um, interesting..."

Nick let out a sigh, resisting the urge to smack himself in the forehead. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"No, it is all right; I know it was unintentional."

With that, neither of them said anything, seeming to settle for a pleasantly comfortable silence between the two of them. Thankfully, though, the elevator reached the Presidium within a minute or two, the large glass door sliding open to allow them out into the brightly lit area. Nick couldn't help but gape at the enormity of the space, and its grandiose nature. As he looked, though, memories of Tali's reaction from the game came unbidden into his mind, her description of 'a waste of space' standing out in his mind, slightly dampening his spirits.

Liara, as if she could sense his change of mood, gently nudged him with the back of her hand, giving him a slight smile when he turned to look at her. "So, Nicholas, did you have any preferences on where to eat?"

Nick just shrugged, giving her a smile of his own. "I should be asking you that question; after all, I am the one taking you on a date."

She nodded in response to his statement, before glancing around, her eyes roaming the entirety of the Presidium, before coming to rest on what appeared to be a restaurant a short distance away from the elevator. Turning back towards Nick, she asked, "How do you feel about trying some Asari cuisine?"

His face took on a thoughtful look, as he considered the proposition. "It could certainly be an interesting experience. Is it all fish or seafood?"

Liara nodded, "Yes, for the most part; why?"

Suppressing a grimace, Nick just repied, "Nothing. Lead the way."

Liara gave him a curious look, before shrugging, turning and beginning to walk towarsd the restaurant. Nick quickly joined her, stepping up beside her. As they walked, he came to a decision, and reached down, gently taking ahold of her hand. Watching her out of the corner of his eye, he saw Liara's face as it went through a few different emotions, starting with shock, moving to surprise and into a smile, though she tried not to let it be too obvious, turning her head slightly away.

Reaching the door, Nick almost moved to open it for Liara, only to feel the urge to smack himself as the door slid open automatically. Stepping inside, an Asari waitress smiled as she saw them, and immediately led them to a booth off in one of the far corners. Sitting down, they picked up the menus, but Nick just let out a sigh as he tried to read it.

"Liara, what in heaven's name is the language this menu is written in?" He asked, showing her his menu. Laughing, she just took his menu, handing him her own, which, thankfully, was writing in English.

"It is written in my native language. I had forgotten that not all the menus are human-friendly." Nick just shook his head, opting to read through the foods rather than respond.

* * *

><p>After finishing their meal, Nick looked at Liara, and asked, "What would you like to do now?"<p>

The Asari just shrugged, "I do not have any preference; was there something you had in mind?"

Thinking for a moment, a smirk came to his face, "Have you ever danced before? For fun, I mean."

Nick nearly laughed at the look of surprise that crossed her face, her eyes growing wide, "O-oh, I do not thing t-that would be such a good idea..."

Nick stood up, taking Liara's hand and pulling her to her feet, "Come on, it'll be fun!"

The Asari attempted to put up some resistance, but her resolve quickly melted by the smile plastered across his face. After paying the attendee standing by the door for the meal, he let Liara throughout the hallways, moving with a purpoase towards some location unknown to her. "Nick, where are we going?"

He slowed down, looking at her with the same smile, "There's a club called Flux not too far from where the Normandy is docked. We're headed there."

WIthin a few moments, they rounded a corner, directly into a large staircase, the word 'Flux' hanging in midair above the hallway. With barely a moment to catch her breath, Nick continued to pull Liara along, entering the club a moment later. The two of them stopped right within the doorway, admiring the view of the club, the music so loud it rattled their eardrums.

Nick's attention was caught as he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw the bouncer standing there, his omni-tool active. "Sorry about this, sir, but all new entries to the club must first be scanned for any weapons, and for a blood-alcohol level check."

He nodded, allowing the scan, "Of course; you don't want overly-rowdy customers."

Smirking, the bouncer nodded, and as he moved to scan Liara, his eyes widened at her apparel, but quickly and tactfully averted his gaze to his omni-tool, completing the scan in moments. Stepping back in front of Nick, he gently nudged him in the shoulder, smiling, "You are one lucky man; I've seen my share of Asari, and she is definitely a step up from the usual. I'd keep her close if I were you." With that, the bouncer moved back to his place next to the doorway, conspicuously looking away from the couple.

Shaking his head slightly, Nick extended his arm, gesturing to the dance floor as he smiled at Liara, "Shall we?" Her answer was to walk past him towards the floor, her hips swaying just a bit more than could be considered natural. Nick stared for a moment, before he shook himself out of his trance, wondering aloud, "What am I getting myself into?"

* * *

><p>Shepard grimaced as she downed another shot of vodka, the burn traveling down her throat just the same as it had the previous six shots. She managed to not jump in surprise as Kaidan's voice sounded out from her left, "You know, Commander, getting yourself drunk an hour and a half before meeting with the Council might not be the best idea."<p>

She simply turned her gaze toward the lieutenant, an eyebrow raised, "Kaidan, you have actually _listened_ to the way they talk to me, right?"

He laughed, a smile gracing his features for a few moments, "Well, when you put it that way..." He stopped, though, as his smile faded, his gaze drawn towards the door. "Well, well; would you look at that."

Shepard's eyes followed his, only to feel her blood boil near-instantaneously as she realized she was seeing Nick and Liara, both moving towards the dance floor. Without preamble, the Spectre quickly grabbed her eighth shot, downing in half the time as she had with all the rest. Rather than watch her two crew members dance, she turned her focus towards the news screen, the reporter discussing some issue regarding Eden Prime.

"Commander? Is there something wrong?"

Shepard cursed Kaidan's keen sense of observation, and quickly attempted to school her features into her neutral "Spectre" gaze, which took slightly longer than normal, due to the alcohol in her bloodstream. "No, lieutenant, there is nothing wrong."

She could see the suspicious look on Kaidan's face out of her peripheral vision. "No offense, Commander, but ever since Nick and his friends came aboard, you've been more on edge, and quite a deal more hostile towards Nick than you usually are with anyone. Not even Wrex saw this much of your ire and anger."

The Spectre opened her mouth to respond, when the music suddenly cut out, the sound of the Volus owner, Delan, calling out. "Everyone, listen!" Her eyes were then drawn towards the news screen yet again, but the image had changed, the picture causing her previously boiling blood to drain from her face.

* * *

><p>Nick couldn't help but mentally cheer as he found himself on the dance floor, finally being able to just relax and enjoy himself in the rhythm of the music, the beat giving him a tempo to sync his moves with. The fact that Liara was there to share the experience with, however, only made the evening all the better to him. As he danced, a thought crossed his mind, 'With how well this night has gone, I don't think anything could ruin it!'<p>

Mere seconds later, the music cut out, the lights returning to normal, as the Volus in charge of the club yelled out something, then turned up the volume to the news broadcast. Listening to it, Nick found his mood suddenly swinging downward, panic rising in his chest.

"...Have recently received information about a supposed Human-Prothean hybrid, rumored to be here on the Citadel. The unnamed source has included pictures of the hybrid in question." An image of Nick came onto the screen, clearly taken from within the Normandy, the dull colored hull visible in the background. "Also included is a stream of video, proving the hybrid to be a severe threat." The next image was battle video from a helmet cam, showing a Thresher Maw, as well as Nick as he scaled the beast, before managing to kill it with its own mandible. "The Council has ordered an investigation, with C-Sec jumping at the call; any sightings should be reported..."

Voices began to rise around Nick and Liara, drowning out the sound of the news broadcast, as people on the dance floor began to notice Nick, and would practically fall over themselves to get away from him, many pointing and screaming at him. Unconsciously, he reached out, taking Liara's hand in his, the two of them backing up away from the growing mob of people. A moment later, a single gunshot rang out, silencing the entire club. Commander Shepard strode forward, Kaidan following closely behind. She turned to the crowd, speaking.

"I'm Commander Shepard, Council Spectre; I'll be taking the hybrid into custody. Do not be alarmed, and return to your business."

With that, the Spectre spun on her heel, practically manhandling Nick and Liara out the door, her annoyance clear to anyone who bothered to look. They made it into the hallway a short distance away before Shepard spun Nick around, glaring at him. He just shrugged, "What? Are you mad at me now? I sure as hell didn't put that out on the news!"

After a moment, she just let out a sigh, and shook her head, "I know you didn't. I know you're not _that_ stupid. The problem now will be getting you back to the ship. If anyone were to see you in C-Sec, you would be taken into custody on the spot."

Nick furrowed his brow, trying to think, when Kaidan spoke up, "Ma'am? Why not give him a disguise? Throw in an alias, and I doubt anyone would really be able to tell. The only trick would be his eyes; after all, we could just cover up his hair."

He immediately responded, "I'll deal with my eyes; just give me a few moments." Before any of them could respond, Nick bowed his head, his mind retreating in upon itself.

* * *

><p>As the mind-scape appeared around Nick, he spun around, his eyes coming to rest on the separate parts of his consciousness. *Alright, guys, we've got a problem.*<p>

Anger was quick to retort, his golden eyes flashing, "No, really? You forget, we _are_ you; we see everything you see."

Nick's eyebrows shot up, *Even my thoughts and ideas?*

Anger's response was slightly more subdued, "Well, not right away..."

With a shake of his head, Nick continued, *Whatever, it's not important right now. I need either Logic or Serenity to take over my body.*

All of the personalities' eyes grew wide, and they responded in unison, "What?"

Nick growled, *You heard me; my eyes seem to shift with which-ever one of you is in control. You two have the normal colored eyes, so then we could pull this off and get me off the Citadel!*

Passion spoke up in response, "That's not gonna work, Nick."

*What are you talking about?*

Anger picked up where the other left off, "Do you happen to notice anyone missing here?"

With a quick glance, he answered, *Evil's not here.*

"Good of you to finally notice; the reason he was able to take over was because he isn't actually a part of your mind. We are. We can influence you, but we can't just _take over._ If we could, don't you think we would have by now?"

Nick kicked at the ground, cursing. *So now what am I supposed to do?*

Logic stepped forward, finally speaking, "There is one possible solution..."

* * *

><p>After a few moments of standing perfectly still, Nick's head shot up, his eyes wide, as he immediately reached down, activating his omni-tool, inputting a number of commands. Shepard looked at his device, her brow furrowed. "What are you doing, Nick?"<p>

He didn't respond, but a moment later, the interface segment over his palm flashed, an object appearing in his hand as the omni-tool shut down. Reaching down, Nick held up what appeared to be two thin, concave strips of some kind. Kaidan smirked, speaking aloud, "Colored contact lenses. Brilliant."

Nick didn't respond until he put in the two lenses, blinking rapidly to adjust his eyes to the sensation. Finally, he looked at everyone, "So, how do they look?"

Liara gasped, "They're blue!" None of them noticed Shepard's face paling slightly, before she seemed to steel herself, returning to normal.

He just rolled his eyes in response, taking Liara's hand in his own, before gesturing to Shepard, "Lead the way, Commander."

Kaidan handed Nick a ball-cap of some kind, which he took without hesitation. The four of them then walked as inconspicuously as they could, tensing up as multiple C-Sec squads went running past them, moving towards Flux. Stepping into the elevator leading to C-Sec, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief as the doors slid shut, the car quickly rising through the tunnel. It didn't take long to reach their destination, the four of them exiting the elevator, attempting to reach the next car to the space port, when a C-Sec officer stepped between them and the elevator. "I'm sorry, but we have to confirm all identifications before anyone is allowed to leave."

Shepard took a step forward, "Step aside, officer; I'm a Spectre."

The Turian would have none of it, "I'm sorry, Spectre, but these orders come straight from the Council, and they were very explicit; 'no unauthorized entries or exits by any personnel, regardless of status, Spectres included.' This will only take a moment."

As the Commander talked with the officer, Nick operated his omni-tool, sending a message to EDI to set up an alias account for himself to escape the Citadel, giving her an alias name to work with. Within moments, the AI responded, a new ID code appearing on his arm computer. He tried not to fidget as the other three were quickly identified and allowed into the elevator, until it was his turn. "Name?"

He held up his omni-tool, showing the officer his AI-forged ID code, "Ethan Barrow. Prothean Specialist."

The officer looked at the ID carefully, syncing his omni-tool with Nicks to confirm, before nodding. "Thank you, Mr. Barrow, you may proceed. Sorry for the delay, Spectre." As the Turian turned towards the elevator, his brow-ridge furrowed in concern, seeing Commander Shepard standing there, pale as death, leaning against the elevator wall as though she were about to collapse. "Spectre?"

Kaidan intervened, "We'll take her to our med-bay; our doctor can figure out what's wrong!"

The officer nodded, and the four of them took the elevator up, the others standing around Shepard in concern, as she slipped from consciousness. Nick turned to the Lieutenant, "Kaidan, what the hell happened?"

He shook his head as he felt the Commander's pulse, "I don't know; one minute she's fine, and the next she's acting as though death just walked through the door!"

The rest of the ride was silent, as they all tried, vainly, to awaken Shepard. As soon as the door slid open, Nick and Kaidan wrapped their arms underneath Shepards, hoisting her up between the two of them, her feet dangling, as Liara rushed ahead to get Joker to open the ship. As soon as they stepped inside the airlock, the hatch closed behind them, as the decontamination cycle activated, though it moved faster, as though in an accelerated speed. Finally, the door opened into the ship, revealing doctor Chakwas with a guerney and an assistant.

"Place her here, Lieutenant, Nick." Once the Commander was firmly in place, the assistant and Kaidan took her away, while the doctor turned to face Nick. "Nicholas, what happened?"

He just shook his head, confusion evident on his face, "I don't know; one moment she looked fine, I gave the C-Sec officer a forged identity card and name to get past him, and I look back into the elevator, only to see her just like that, in the process of passing out!"

The doctor gestured for him to follow her as she spoke, "It appears to be one of the similar responses to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but I'm not sure what the trigger could have been. Could the name have been such as to have been similar to someone she may have known in her life?"

Nick shrugged, "Not that I know of."

Chakwas thought for a few moments, as they came to a halt in front of the med-bay, before turning back to him, "In the meantime, I'd like for you to wait here in the mess hall. I will come retrieve you once she's back on her feet." With that, the doctor moved into the med-bay, the door sliding shut behind her.

* * *

><p>As Nick sat at the table, he glanced up at the sound of footsteps, only to find himself face to face with Ian, Art, and Brendan, all of whom immediately sat down in the seats around him, other than the one occupied by Liara to his right. Art spoke first, "So, what exactly happened?"<p>

Nick just shook his head, "I have absolutely no idea."

Brendan spoke next, "Do you think she'll be ok?"

Ian answered for Nick, "Of course; she's probably just feeling sick or something. If she was at Flux drinking like I heard Kaidan say she was, it could have been too much vodka too quickly."

Liara had her own input to add, "I do not believe so; this reaction happened much too quickly and with too little warning for it to have been something she ingested."

Nick stopped listening after that, the rest of the group continuing their theorizing. His attention was drawn to the opening med-bay door, doctor Chakwas stepping out into the mess hall, her gaze fixed squarely on him. "Nicholas? Shepard is awake, and would like to speak to you." He nodded, and stood to go into the med-bay, when the doctor held up a hand, "Also, you may want to remove those contacts, before you forget and they dry out, damaging your eyes."

A moment later, Nick found himself standing just inside the med-bay door, looking at the Spectre sitting on the far bed, her legs held up by her arms wrapped around them, chin resting on her knees. As the door slid shut, she spoke, "So... You've known this whole time, haven't you?"

Nick's brow furrowed in confusion, "I-I'm sorry, known what?"

Shepard looked up at him, her eyes blood-shot, the glare evident, "Don't play coy with me; you've known this whole time, and you still went for _her_, some filthy Asari. And all this time, not bothering to send me a message to know that you were alive? Were you even going to bother to tell me?" She stood up, shaky, but her rage was keeping her vertical, as she reached down, pulling her pistol out and pointing it at Nick. "Did it even mean anything to you? Or did you just use me, and toss me away with the damn Batarians as a convenient cover for escape?" She moved closer, the gun in her hand shaking violently, as tears streamed down her face. "_ANSWER ME, ETHAN!_"

Nick, who had been standing there in shock, furrowed his brow in extreme confusion. "Ethan? Who in the hell are you talking about?"

Shepard's eyes narrowed, "Oh no, you don't get to play stupid now; you may have been able to fool me before with that silver hair and the orange eyes, uncanny resemblance aside. But being so arrogant as to drop that name out of nowhere? I don't think so."

Nick pressed, "What, you mean that alias? Ethan Barrow? I came up with that alias when I was... hell, I don't know, twelve? Thirteen?"

This only seemed to enrage Shepard further, "So I wasn't even worth your real name?"

His patience wearing thin, Nick yelled back, "What the fuck are you talking about? I have never met you before I came aboard this ship with Liara!"

The Commander simply stood there, her eyes wide, as her brain processed what he had just said, her gun now unnaturally still in her hand. "W-what? B-but..." The gun lowered, as she began to rub the side of her head with her free hand. "Maybe... there could have been memory loss... he probably just doesn't... remember..."

Feeling a little more confident in his odds of survival, he interrupted her, "Tell me everything, so that I'm not the one standing here completely in the dark." When she didn't say anything, Nick tentatively stepped forward, and guided her towards the medical bed, and sat down next to her as she collected her thoughts. He couldn't help but notice that, as she sat there, she looked less like the bad-ass Spectre, and more like a scared teenage girl.

Finally, she spoke. "I grew up on Mindoir; just a seventeen year old, plain-jane farm girl, nothing special. There weren't many people there, barely even five thousand on the whole planet. Nearing my eighteenth birthday, this guy showed up out of nowhere, with only the clothes on his back to his name. Said his name was Ethan Barrow. Dad let him work on the farm with us in exchange for food and board. Eight months passed, Ethan and I grew... close."

Nick interrupted, "How close, exactly?"

Shepard began to blush. "Um... close, as in... intimate. Very intimate." She took a breath to collect herself, before continuing, her voice soft, "Anyways, I found out from some friends that Ethan had gone to town a few days previous, and had bought a rather expensive ring, and he told me he wanted to meet me later that night, alone. I went to meet him, and j-just as he got down onto one knee, t-the Batarians st-tarted attacking..."

Nick put an arm around her shoulder as she broke down, sobs wracking her entire body, tears flowing down her face. He gently rocked her as she cried, trying to get her to calm down. Finally, with a shaky breath, she continued, "I could hear screaming nearby, coming from the neighbors' house. Ethan grabbed ahold of me, and hid me beneath the floor of the barn; apparently he had dug some kind of hidey hole there, and he told me to stay put. I watched him as he pulled out a pistol from another hidden floor-board. I didn't even know he had the gun... but he waited for the Batarians to come into the barn. He managed to shoot three of them before he took a hit himself."

Nick asked, "They didn't have any shields?"

She shook her head, "They must have figured they didn't need shields for a small colony like that. Once they hit Ethan, they swarmed him, knocking the gun away from him, and they dragged him outside. The l-last thing I h-heard was his scream, a-and a loud c-crunching noise..." She visibly paled, trying to keep from breaking down again. "I did what he told me to, and I stayed put. Some soldiers found me the next day. When I went out to where the Batarians had d-dragged Ethan off to, all that was left was a pool of dried blood, staining the grass, as well as a tiny, smashed box with this ring." She reached down, pulling a chain out from beneath her shirt, revealing her dog tags and a small, thin, silver ring, a single diamond stud adorning it's otherwise perfectly circular form.

Nick sat there next to her, deep in thought, until he asked, "So why the confusion with me?"

Almost timidly, she turned towards him, and uttered, "He looked exactly like you, except with hazel eyes and light brown hair."

Had Nick not all ready been subjected to numerous shocks to his body and mind over the past month since Liara had first been discovered hiding in his basement, he would have passed out on the spot. As it were, his jaw simply fell, his eyes growing wide, staring at the Commander as though she had grown a second head. "I-I'm sorry; _what?_"

She turned more towards him, her eyes showing a glimmer of hope in them, "Do you have any period of your past that seems blank? Amnesia, maybe? Any unexplainable scars?"

Nick almost immediately stood up and stepped back, away from Shepard, holding up his hands, "Hold on, I don't think this is what you think it is-"

She cut him off, standing up herself as she started to act more desperate, slowly moving closer to him, "It has to be you!"

Nick continued to attempt to reason with her, "Shepard, I am not Ethan Barrow; my name is Nicholas Perry, and it always has been. And I would gladly tell you everything if I honestly thought there was a snowball's chance in hell of you believing me."

She stopped dead in her tracks, confused, "What do you mean, tell me everything?"

Nick closed his eyes, mentally cursing himself for what he was about to do. He stepped closer to her, putting his hands on her arms, just below her shoulders. "I need you to relax, and to trust me." Seeing her just nod, her eyes wide, he took a deep breath, and his eyes filled with a pure orange color. "Embrace eternity."

* * *

><p>Shepard looked around in shock, trying to figure out where she was, examining the dark, cool room she seemed to be in. She could make out what appeared to be a large screen of some kind, but almost ancient looking, sitting in the corner, a large couch in front of it. The sound of Nick's voice next to her caused her to jump, "This was my home; well, my parents' home, rather. I lived here while going to college."<p>

Before he could say anything else, a muffled thumping noise caught her attention, and she turned towards it just as what appeared to be Nick walked down the set of stairs on the far side of the room, causing her jaw to drop. It looked exactly like Ethan! She turned towards the real Nick, confused. He just pointed towards the memory-him, shaking his head and not saying a word. Looking back, she saw the memory Nick/Ethan sit down at the couch, picking up some kind of controller. A moment later, a swooshing sound drew her attention towards the screen. Watching, she felt her heart-rate spike, the words 'Mass Effect' coming to life across the screen, followed by images and video clips of some kind, portraying a man dressed in N7 armor. She began to feel nauseous as the images continued to play, each one portraying some part of her life that she had already been forced through by both the Alliance and the Council. "I'm from another dimension, Shepard. This world is nothing but a figment of someone else's imagination where I'm from, just like my world doesn't exist here." She continued to watch, barely registering his words.

Watching the scene unfold on the surface of Therum and the recruitment of Liara on the screen, however, drew her attention back to Nick, who was passively watching. "That's not what happened!"

He just let out a sigh, before turning back to her, "No, it's not. It changed once myself, Ian, Art, Brendan, and Joc got involved."

Her eyes narrowed, "Assuming I even believe all of this, how exactly _did_ you five get involved, if you're actually from another dimension?"

He let out another sigh, before waving his hand. The room wavered momentarily, and the screen was blank, Nick/Ethan walking on the far side of the room, closing the back door, when a noise caught his attention, and he spoke out, causing whoever was further in the basement to panic, creating more noise and presumably falling. Shepard unconsciously followed the memory Nick/Ethan as he walked towards the noise, only to gasp as the light turned on, showing none other than Liara on the ground. Nick spoke from behind her, "She was taken through some kind of dimensional rift, and ended up on my world. I helped her escape, with my friends from all across the country, and from another country, in Ian's case. The man who created the Mass Effect games turned out to be none other than the Illusive Man from yet another dimension, the man in charge of the organization known as Cerberus.

"If what you say is true, than the man you know as Ethan Barrow was in fact me, but from a completely different alternate dimension to yours or mine."


	18. Chapter 18 Escape

A/N: Well, here's another chapter. Wrote the entire thing yesterday afternoon, and just got it back from my beta, If3ctionZ, this morning. As per usual, expect the unexpected in this chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

KaiserPhoenix: Yeah, politics can be a bitch. But it won't be going down quite the way you're thinking.

ArchAngelGundam: You're probably right; I wouldn't want to spoil all of the secrets about Ethan Barrow right away. That would ruin the fun.

Digijim95: Actually, if you're operating under the assumption that there are an infinite number of variables for an infinite number of possible outcomes, as well as an infinite number of alternate dimensions, than the odds are actually quite high. The real question would be if Ethan (Nick's doppelganger) is exactly like Nick, or if he's more of an evil twin-type character. And I'm flattered you think so highly of my writing ability.

Sarge1995: Well, not _all_ the time. But yeah, fun nights out are a great time to throw in ambushes and spur of the moment bad things.

Herr Wozzeck: I wouldn't immediately go blaming Terra Dominus for the rough night out. There are many more interested parties than just them to spread out the blame. And of course Shepard has a strange back-story; it's the only way to keep things interesting. Otherwise, she'd just be another standard copy-paste Commander Shepard that goes around this site.

Dreaded-DeathX: On all points, you'll just have to wait and see where things go. But you are right, Ethan will become a pivotal plot point for Shepard. What kind of pivot, however, remains to be seen.

xXMadCatXx: I never thought of that...

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 18

Legion moved through the interior of the asteroid, passing by other Geth platforms without any thought of it. Entering the de facto control room of the growing facility, it stepped up to the sensor array station, quickly using the system to scan the surrounding area. {\_Alert, unidentified vessel approaching along vector two-three-seven. Options?_}

EDI's holographic interface appeared within the control room, signifying her focus was on what Legion was doing. [\_Sending query; handshake signal confirmed, the ship is the vessel requested from Cerberus._]

One of Legion's flaps raised, questioning, {\_It has only been one month, two days, six hours, and twenty eight minutes since our arrival. We find it curious that Cerberus would have devoted the time and resources to complete the vessel this quickly._}

The AI's response to the Geth was straight-forward. [\_It is likely the Illusive Man has no desire to test the validity of our claims, but simply wishes to aid us for his own survival, as well as humanity's survival._] EDI paused, before continuing, [\_Once the ship has been cleared of surveillance equipment, we will inform Nicholas of its existence._]

At first, Legion simply nodded, but a data stream packet from another Geth platform caught its attention, its eye turning towards the AI's hologram. {\_We do not believe Nicholas will be able to return on his own..._}

* * *

><p>Shepard simply stared at Nick, her eyes wide with shock, as the memory faded around them, leaving the two of them standing within the void of Nick's mind-scape. Finally, she spoke, "W-what do you mean?"<p>

He let out a sigh, rubbing his temple, before responding, "The man you knew as Ethan Barrow was basically just me, but from a different dimension than the one I'm from. So... more or less like he's a copy of me; or that I'm a copy of him. Whichever." He took a moment to collect himself, before continuing, "I would be willing to bet that, regardless of how he ended up there, he realized who you were, and tried to stay close to you to try to protect you from the Batarians. I'm also willing to bet that it wasn't his plan to get close to you."

Shepard took a step back, her brow furrowing, "What do you mean?"

Nick held up his hands, "Don't misunderstand, I'm sure that he really did fall in love with you, especially if he nearly proposed to you. What I'm saying is that his original goal was likely to just try to protect you; keep in mind, he probably knew as much as I did and do, so he would have known that Mindoir was slated for that Batarian attack, just like in the game."

"I still don't understand, Nick; why would he have tried to protect me?"

With a sad smile, he answered, "Because the fate of the entire galaxy rests on your shoulders, Commander. Without you, all sentient life is anhiliated." Seeing the look on her face, he continued, "Relax, you have your crew to help you. You're not alone in this."

Shepard opened her mouth to reply, but before she could speak, they could both hear someone gasp, the sound drawing the two of them out of the mind meld. Glancing towards the door, Nick let out a sigh of relief, seeing only doctor Chakwas standing there, looking between the two of them. "Well, that certainly wasn't what I was expecting to see when I came back inside."

Nick held up his hands, "It was just me showing the commander something she needed to be aware of, and I had to be sure of no eavesdroppers; the easiest way for that was a mind-meld."

The doctor just shook her head, a smirk on her face, "Relax, Nicholas; I am well aware of the significance of a mind meld versus a complete Joining; I've seen enough of it between marines and Asari in my day." Her face took on a thoughtful look, "I've also seen one or two Asari myself that way..."

Chakwas simply laughed as both Nick and Shepard let out a groan, neither enjoying the mental image forced into their heads.

* * *

><p>As the door to the Med-bay slid closed behind Nick, Liara let out a sigh, watching him go from behind. A soft snickering caught her attention, causing her to spin her head around towards the rest of the group, Ian and Art both smiling at her. Her brow ridge furrowed, "What is it you find so amusing?"<p>

Ian lifted his hands in a placating gesture, "Nothing, Liara. I just find it kind of funny how closely you were watching him."

The blush creeping up her neck barely had time to form before Brendan spoke up, "I'm just curious as to why Shepard wanted to speak to him alone. That in and of itself is worrisome."

Liara's eyes grew wide, her previous embarrassment completely forgotten, "Do you think he is in danger?"

Ian shook his head, "I doubt it. Besides, with Nick's biotics, I'm sure he could handle himself just fine." Ian opened his mouth to say something else, when he suddenly looked towards the hallway by the elevator, "Solana! There you are; where have you been lately?"

The female Turian seated herself down next to Ian, letting out a sigh as she did so. "I've been talking to Garrus, Ian, trying to make sure that the next time you two meet, he doesn't immediately try to use his talons to tear you to shreds. He's still quite upset about the two of us, you know."

Ian grimaced, before asking, "But you were able to calm him down, right? Maybe convince him that we're staying together?" He paused, before cautiously asking, "We _are _staying together, right?"

Solana immediately nodded, "Of course; I think I managed to get him to understand that a little more, but it will still take time before he willingly accepts it."

There was a lull in conversation, which Art took full advantage of, "Anyways, I'm not worried about anything happening between Nick and Shepard; my concern is what happens to Nick now that everyone on the Citadel now knows he's half-Prothean."

There was a collective nod of agreement around the table, as Ian responded, "How did that footage get out on the Citadel News Net anyways? It was all taken from the ground team's battle cams."

Art immediately countered, "There's only a few possibilities; either there's a double agent for some organization among the crew of the Normandy, or the ship itself is bugged."

Liara interjected her own thoughts, "Neither of those are very good possibilities, Art."

Brendan finally spoke, "So what are we supposed to do?"

The silence at the table was nearly deafening, so much so that nearly everyone at the table jumped as the door to the med-bay slid open, both Nick and the Commander stepping out, both coming to the table to join the rest of them. Nick smiled as he sat down next to Liara, his hand reaching out beneath the level of the table to take her hand in his, "Hey guys; did I miss anything?"

Ian was the first to respond, "Well, we either have a double agent aboard the ship, or the ship is bugged; at least, those are the only reasons we can think of how battle footage of you in action managed to get into the hands of the Citadel News Net."

Shepard nodded, "It would make sense, though my money would be on the ship being bugged; it would take either multiple people being paid under the table, or someone of high enough rank to have access to both the ground vid footage _and _communications channels."

Before the Spectre could continue, Joker's voice rang out from the intercom system, "Commander, the Council is on the line; they seem really antsy to talk to you."

She grimaced, before replying, "Are they asking to meet in person?"

"They didn't say; but they were pretty clear in wanting to talk to you right now."

"Thank's Joker." Shepard turned to walk towards the Comm. room, but stopped, her head turning back. "Nick, would you come with me? I have a feeling I know exactly what it is they want to talk to me about."

Swallowing a spike of fear, Nick nodded, and with a gentle squeeze of Liara's hand, stood up and followed the Spectre up the stairs, and into the communications room. Not wanting to give himself away too early, Nick stood back away from the holoprojectors, keeping his presence unknown for the moment, as the three projectors sprang to life, the members of the Citadel Council appearing over each pedestal.

The Turian, Velarn, began to speak immediately, the arrogant and angry tone quite clear in his double-flanged voice, "Commander Shepard, what have you done with that hybrid?"

The Asari, Councilor Tevos, shot Velarn a rather pointed glare, before addressing the Spectre, "Commander, we have had numerous reports of the supposed Human-Prothean Hybrid having boarded your ship not long after its existence came to light. Can you give us any information regarding this rumor?"

Nick could see the Commander's back muscles tensing, even from across the room, as she prepared herself to address the Council. "What exactly is the basis of these rumors, Councilor?"

At this, the Salarian councilor, whose name Nick couldn't remember, responded, "These rumors are the various testimonies of distraught patrons of the restaurant Flux, as well as a number of clips taken from security feeds from multiple cameras."

Tevos continued, "Do you know anything of this person, Commander?"

Sensing her pause, Nick decided that it was time for him to step forward, and he quickly closed the distance, moving up directly next to the Spectre. "Yes, she does. I'm the one you're looking for."

Velarn immediately began issuing Shepard orders, "Commander, I order you to place that _thing_ into custody, and bring it to C-Sec-"

Nick cut the Turian off, "I am a sentient being with rights, you bird-brained, bare-faced twat!"

Councilor Tevos tried to get a word in edge-wise, only to be cut off by the now-pissed off Turian Councilor, "How dare you talk down to me, you worthless-"

Nick just smiled at him, causing him to stop mid-rant in confusion. He quickly took advantage of the silence, asking, "So, Councilor Velarn... _how's your mistress doing?_"

It took all of his self control not to begin laughing as the Turian's mandibles fell completely open, his eyes wide, mouth opening and closing, but no sound coming out. After taking a moment to enjoy the sight, Nick brought up his omni-tool, and deactivated the left holoprojector, removing the Turian Councilor from the entire conversation. He then turned to the other two councilors.

"I apologize for my seeming untoward behavior, but I would not allow myself to be treated in such a way by such an incompetent fool. Now, was there something the two of you wished to discuss?"

Nick resisted the urge to shuffle on his feet, as the two remaining councilors and the sole spectre simply stared at him incredulously for a few moments, before Councilor Tevos began to regain her composure. "W-well, do you have a name?"

"Yes, Councilor; my name is Nicholas Perry, currently a member of the crew of the SSV Normandy."

The Salarian spoke next, "How did you come to be a hybrid of Human and Prothean, if the news is to be believed?"

"It was through a Prothean beacon, somehow experimentally interfaced with some unknown kind of Prothean technology, likely one of a kind. Unfortunately, all traces of it were destroyed within the ruins on the planet Therum after the Geth attack."

Tevos' brow ridge furrowed, "You realize that that only makes your story that much harder to corroborate, do you not?"

Nick resisted the urge to sigh, opting instead to nod, "Yes, I do realize the misfortune of it. But if it would please you, I would be perfectly willing to send you a sample of my blood for you to examine yourselves."

The Salarian then asked, "Why not allow yourself to be studied directly?"

Nick's mouth went firm, thinning to a tight line before answering, "I mean no offense directly, but the history of the council in the matters of the rights of an individual such as myself are... less than adequate, for me to willingly allow myself to be taken into anyone's custody, simply for the purpose of genetic experimentation and exploitation. In short, I don't trust anyone enough to not expect to be betrayed, imprisoned, and have inhumane experimentation done on me, simply because of a freak accident over which I had no control."

Councilor Tevos opened her mouth to reply, when Joker's voice came over the intercom, "Uh, Commander? We've got about half of C-Sec trying to beat down our front door!"

Nick swore under his breath, before quickly speaking, "I'm sorry, councilors, but it appears your delinquent Turian co-worker has decided on a less subtle approach to capturing me. So if you'll excuse me, I have some cops to go run from."

With that, he immediately turned and ran out of the communications' room, flying past anyone in the hallways, doing his best to avoid the ship's marines as they ran for the air-lock, guns in hand. He could hear Joker's voice through the speakers above, "Citadel Control has locked out the ship's controls; prepare for boarders!" He paled slightly as he heard Joker continue through the mic, though in a quieter voice not meant to be heard, "Joc, hand me that assault rifle..."

Nick slowed, and brought up his omni-tool, pressing the button to connect the quantum entanglement device built in, and called through it, "EDI, Citadel Control has locked out the controls to the Normandy, and they're trying to board the ship! Is there anything you can do?"

A text message appeared on his omni-tool; [\_Help is on the way. Use the hangar to escape. Will provide location for extraction when available._]

Shaking his head, Nick quickly ran through the med-bay, into the small office that he shared with Liara. The Asari, who had been apparently pacing through the small room, quickly turned towards him, confusion evident in her eyes. "Nick, what is going on?"

Nick just brushed past her, grabbing the few things he owned in the room, trying to gather his armor in his arms. "No time, just grab your stuff and follow me!"

Within moments, the two of them were in the elevator, the doors sliding closed as the cab began it's laboriously slow journey downward. Taking the moment to breathe, Nick immediately began stripping down to his underwear, throwing his clothes in a corner as he quickly tried to slide the underarmor mesh on. As soon as he finished, he began putting on the various armor pieces, sparing a glance at Liara, only to notice her skin an extremely deep scarlet color, looking anywhere but at him.

"Liara, either you put your armor on here, or you're staying aboard the Normandy!"

She gaped at him for a moment, but seeing the look in his eye, quickly nodded, and turned away from him, stripping down to her own undergarments, quickly donning her under layer mesh and armor pieces. As they finished, the elevator came to a stop, the door sliding open, only to reveal over a dozen weapons pointed in their direction. After an awkward moment, the guns lowered, Kaidan's voice ringing out, "Weapons down! It's Nick and Liara."

Nick stepped forward, seeing everyone in their armor, guns at the ready. He waved a few of them forward, "Ian, Art, Brendan, Solana." As soon as they were near, he spoke to them, "C-Sec is coming after me; they're actually boarding the ship to try to get me. I'm going to try to get out through the hangar door of the ship. You are all free to either come with me, or just stay here."

Ian was the first to speak, "What the hell, I'm with you, Nick. Besides, it sounds like you'll be having all the fun." His smirk wasn't the only one present.

Art shrugged, "Why not? Besides, knowing my luck, one of the cops will take me hostage, just for someone to come to my rescue." As everyone stared at him, he continued, "What? It would."

Brendan nodded, pumping his shotgun, "I'm in."

Solana nodded as well, flexing her talons as her mandibles quivered in excitement. "It sounds like a challenge."

Nick opened his mouth to speak, when another flanged voice called out behind him, "You'll need my help as well." He spun around, finding himself face to face with Garrus. "I know C-Sec procedures and plans of attack like the back of my hand. If you want to evade their patrols and checkpoints, you'll need me."

Nodding, Nick turned to the rest of the Normandy's crew standing around, "None of you need to fight for me; just go hide in engineering or in the escape pods or something."

Ashley took a step forward, shaking her head, "Not happening, Nick; you may not be our favorite person on the ship, but I think I speak for all of us when I say no one invades our home without a fight on their hands. This ship _is_ our home, and I'll be damned if I don't fight tooth and nail for it. You just use the distraction to get out of here."

Nick stepped up to Ashley, and extended his hand to her. "Thank you, Ash."

The marine just smirked, shaking his hand, "Whatever, freak. Now get a move-on!"

With a nod, Nick quickly moved over to the hangar, flexing his limbs to stretch, preparing for what would likely be a mad dash for cover once outside. Glancing left and right, he was surprised to notice Tali standing next to Brendan, stretching as well. Shaking his head, Nick gave the signal to the marine standing next to the hangar controls, who immediately activated the large door. With a groan, it rapidly fell outward, the forward wall of the dock visible. Sliding his borrowed helmet over his head, he waited for it to seal, before jumping through the hangar's energy barrier, out into the vacuum of space below the Normandy.

With a reverberating thud, Nick's boots connected with the floor, which thankfully had gravity. Glancing behind him, he saw the others behind him, ready to move. Looking around, he found a maintenance access hatch, and quickly ran over to it, activating it with a wave of his omni-tool. The door readily slid open, revealing an open tunnel, just wide enough for them to walk through one at a time. Nick took the lead, maneuvering his way left and right through the dark tunnels.

* * *

><p>The Shadow Broker sat within his lair, the shadows obscuring his countenance from any and all whom he did not wish to see him. He watched the various terminals at his finger tips, information zipping past at insane speeds. He halted one of the security feeds from the Citadel as he noticed what appeared to be a large gathering of beings. Looking closer, he realized he was staring at the outer hull of the newest Alliance ship, the Normandy, currently swarming with C-Sec agents attempting to force their way into the ship. Observing it, he couldn't help but mutter aloud, "If those agents board that ship, it will spark a war between the Alliance and the Citadel.<p>

"It is not yet time for war."

* * *

><p>Joc tried her best not to whimper as she shakily gripped the handle of a pistol with both hands, listening and watching to the wielding torch being used to cut open the ship's airlock. Glancing around, she saw the marines standing there, hiding behind chairs and tables they had dragged onto the bridge, ready and waiting for the C-Sec cops to come rushing through the door. A steady hand on her arm practically made her jump, as her heart thumped loudly in her chest, she turned, finding herself looking into Joker's steely eyes, as the near-cripple sat on the floor, braced against the bulkhead to keep him from shattering bones when he would fire his gun.<p>

"Don't worry, Joc; we'll make it through this."

Jocelyn felt her worry simmer down, her hands shaking less, and she nodded, turning back towards the door as the welding tool stopped, other tools being inserted into the cracks to pry the doors open, as the crew of the SSV Normandy held their guns, ready and willing to fight for their ship and their home. As she gripped her pistol tighter, a beeping noise caught her attention. Turning towards the cockpit, she saw the controls light up, coming back to life. She quickly dropped her pistol, moving to help Joker up. "Joker, we have control again!"

* * *

><p>After traversing through the tunnels for what felt like ages, Nick noticed an orange glow behind him, the telltale sign of an active omni-tool, followed by a flanged male voice, "All right, we're close to Chora's Den; we should be able to get out into the transit system and out into the Citadel from there. Just take a left, then head straight."<p>

Nick nodded, and followed the instructions, coming to a closed access hatch rather quickly. Interestingly enough, the door slid open as soon as they approached, allowing them all to quickly exit the tunnel, and move out into the crowded lower ward market area. As they began to move through the crowd, Nick couldn't help shake the feeling of being watched. Glancing over his shoulder, he couldn't see anything, so he just chalked it up to paranoia. He kept his helmet on his head, but retracted the breathing apparatus, so as to not look too apparent. The rest of the group did the same, the eight of them walking through the halls and corridors, stopping only to pass through the occasional elevator, trying to put as much distance between them and the Normandy as possible.

Bringing up his omni-tool, Nick tried to get ahold of the AI again, "EDI, give us something here; we're wandering through the station like a bunch of lost tourists."

There was a pause, before another line of text appeared; [\_Zakera Ward. Dock thirteen._]

Closing his omni-tool, Nick turned to the group, "We're headed for the Zakera Ward; Garrus, what's the fastest way there?"

The Turian brought up his own omni-tool, scanning it's internal maps for a few moments, before Garrus looked back up towards him, "We should take the transit system. It's the only way to get there before they put the whole station on lockdown."

Nick nodded, and as a group they moved through the halls, looking for a nearby transit terminal. Noticing Liara moving up next to him, he couldn't help but take her hand in his, giving it a squeeze for comfort, a smile visible through his partially open helmet.

* * *

><p>He moved through the shadows, staying silent as the Master had trained him. He did not have his gun at the ready, as this target was meant to survive. It was strange, to send an assassin to protect the man, rather than to kill him. But having seen the recent news, he knew that this target was more important to the Master and his kind than any before had ever been. It had been pure chance that he had been on the Citadel, searching for leads on another target, when the Master contacted him for the first time in many years, telling him of the new assignment he had for him, and that any other job was to be put on hold.<p>

Observing the target, his pulse quickened, seeing the target take the hand of the Asari, the gesture of intimacy taking him by surprise. He quickly squelched the memories that threatened to overtake him. Falling victim to his own mind at a time like this would only risk compromising his mission. Shaking his head, he continued to follow the target, his eyes never leaving the man wearing the pure black armor with the crimson stripe.

* * *

><p>As a group, the eight of them moved to enter the two rapid transit taxi cars, when a flanged voice called out from behind them, "Hey, you! Stop there!"<p>

Spinning, Nick swore as he saw a group of C-Sec running towards them, pulling their weapons out from their backs. Before he could reach for his own gun, however, a blur of movement seemed to jump out from the shadows, hitting the four C-Sec agents before they could reven react. The figure moved with a grace, the likes of which Nick had never seen before. The blur grabbed the assault rifle of the first cop, pulling it from his hands, only to swing it, butt first, into his head, dropping him almost immediately. As the gun dropped towards the floor, the blur continued to move, cart-wheeling past the second cop, spinning at the last second, kicking its legs outward, hitting the second and the third cops in the head, both of them dropping as well. As the fourth cop turned to aim his gun at the blur, the blur's arm shot out, knocking the gun aside, as its' other arm shot forward, impacting the final cop between the eyes, dropping him to the ground just as quickly.

Standing in complete shock, Nick's surprise only doubled as he realized that he recognized the blur. Within moments, however, the man moved until he was directly in front of Nick, his large black eyes seemingly absorbing Nick's very soul and essence. He bowed, speaking, "I apologize for following you; I was not to directly interfere unless absolutely necessary, but as you could see, I was left with little other alternative." He extended his hand, "My name is Thane Krios; my arm is at your service."

Numbly, Nick took the offered hand, shaking it somewhat limply. "H-hello, Thane."

After a moment, the Drell looked at the stunned group, "I believe it was your intention to use these vehicles before more authorities arrived?"

The statement shaking them out of their stupor, the group of now nine people crowded into the air cars, quickly inputting the destination into their computers.

* * *

><p>As Joker moved back into his seat, his hands immediately began to fly across the controls, his eyes moving just as fast, trying to take in all the necessary data at once. With a loud thunk, the outer hull segment closed over the airlock, sealing the C-Sec officers within the ship, as the magnetic locks released the Normandy, the vessel quickly retreating from the dock as quickly as it could manage. Officers still standing on the dock could only watch in dismay as the Alliance vessel quickly pulled away, out into the dark of space, rapidly fading away to little more than a speck in the distance.<p>

Aboard the Normandy, the inner doors to the airlock finally slid open, revealing the four C-Sec officers standing there, facing down the barrels of over fifteen assault rifles and shotguns. After a few moments of hesitation, they each raised their arms above their heads, signifying their surrender.

As the ship moved away from the Citadel, it quickly opened a channel with other nearby Alliance vessels, and Joker called out to them, "This is the SSV Normandy; we have just been assaulted by C-Sec forces. I repeat, C-Sec forces have just attempted a hostile invasion of our vessel!"

Within moments, multiple comm. channels began bombarding the Normandy, as over a dozen Alliance military craft began shifting position, moving into defensive positions around the Normandy, making a wall of steel and flesh between the Spectre/Alliance ship and the approaching Citadel Defense fleet. The head of the fleet, an Asari dreadnaught, openned a channel to the forming rag-tag fleet.

"This is Captain Lidanya of the Destiny Ascention, to all Systems Alliance vessels; you will cease all activity, deactivate your engines and weapons' systems and turn over the Normandy and the specimen they are harboring!"

Before the Normandy could respond, one of the other ships in the still-forming Alliance armada answered the order. "This is Rear Admiral Mikhailovich of the 63rd Scout Flotilla; I demand to know why Citadel Security attempted to forcibly invade an Alliance warship!"

"The Normandy and her crew are harboring the Human Prothean Hybrid, against the express orders of the Council-"

Mikhailovich didn't give the Matriarch time to finish her statement, "I don't give a damn what the Council orders! Citadel forces have absolutely no right to invade an Alliance warship during a time of peace, regardless of the reasons! The Treaty of Shanxi set that right in stone! We will defend our rights as rightful members of Citadel Space, or by God and Earth, you void that treaty here and now, and declare open war on the Systems Alliance!"

Both fleets ground to a halt, neither side appearing to be willing to fire the first shot, when a channel opened from the Citadel itself. "This is Councilor Tevos, all ships stand down! Destiny Ascention, you are to return to your patrols. Rear Admiral Mikhailovich, the Council deeply apologizes for this grave misunderstanding, and we would formally invite you and the Alliance representatives to an emergency session of the Council to... discuss what has happened here."

The Rear Admiral was quick to respond, "I will gladly meet to discuss this incident, but my ships will remain in position, guarding the Normandy, right where it is." With that, all of the channels cut off, plunging the cockpit of the Normandy into relative silence. Joc turned towards Joker, her brow furrowed.

"Joker, what just happened?" For once, the witty pilot had absolutely nothing to say.

* * *

><p>Nick breathed out a sigh of relief as the aircar gently landed, the computer letting off a soft chiming noise to tell them that they had reached the Zakera Ward. Quickly stepping out of the car, he glanced around, making sure that the others were right there with them. Counting all nine of them, Nick led the group away from the transit station, and made his way through the docks, looking for dock thirteen.<p>

"Ten... Eleven... Twelve... Thirteen, here it is guys."

Stepping into the dock, Nick broke into a grin as he realized that he was staring once again at the MSV Santa Maria, the ungainly Kowloon freighter looking exactly the same as it had on Therum. Without pause, the entire group walked the short distance from the door to the airlock, the vessel's hatch immediately opening and allowing them passage into the ship. Once the decontamination cycle completed, Nick turned to the group. "Ok everyone, listen up. Tali, you take Art and Brendan back into engineering, just in case we run into any problems and have to work on the ship on the fly. Ian, you take Solana, Garrus, and Thane into the crew quarters. Liara, come with me to the bridge."

As everyone moved to their various destinations, Nick and Liara both jogged to the cockpit, anxious to get moving away from the Citadel as quickly as possible. As the door to the bridge slid open, however, the two of them stopped short in their tracks, as what appeared to be a woman in a full suit of Phoenix armor turned towards them, her face obscured by her helmet. "_Greetings; EDI and Legion told me to wait here for you. I am the Self Autonomous Mechanical Intelligence. How may I assist?_"

Nick furrowed his brow in confusion, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the woman, before he gasped, realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. "You're an AI!"

The machine/woman nodded, "_That is correct._"

"So you the... what, again?"

"_The Self Autonomous Mechanical Intelligence. I am programmed to learn, to interact, and to integrate with organic society._"

Nick began stroking his chin thoughtfully for a few moments. "So... S, A, M, I... I know, we'll call you Sammy."

'Sammy' simply nodded, "_That will be acceptable. Shall we leave the Citadel?_"

Nick nodded furiously, moving to seat himself behind the pilot's seat. "Gladly. Take us wherever you want, so long as it isn't here!"

Within moments, the MSV Santa Maria lifted off, pulling away from the docking station of the Citadel, and merged with the rest of the outbound traffic leaving the Citadel, one of a long line of ships to utilize the relay out of the system.

* * *

><p>This is the Citadel News Net, I'm Emily Wong. In a shocking turn of events, Citadel Security Forces attempted to forcibly board a Systems Alliance warship, the SSV Normandy, in an attempt to capture the supposed Human-Prothean Hybrid. The conflict nearly escalated to full-scale battle outside the Citadel itself between the Citadel Defense Fleet and Alliance warships passing through the area. Thankfully, the conflict was resolved by the Council, timely intervening before shots could be fired.<p>

Rumor and speculation appear to lean towards the Turian Councilor for the cause of this incident, though he was unavailable for questioning at the time. The Council has yet to comment further on the events of earlier today. However, Anti-Alien supporters are up in arms in outrage against the Citadel Council, and many others find themselves questioning their trust in Aliens after this blatant attempt at a breach of the Treaty of Shanxi.

In other news...


	19. Chapter 19 Surprises And Secrets

A/N: Ok, I'm finally back. Sort of. School is about to start for me, next Wednesday, which means that I will be back to writing in the hours between classes. Which means more updates for you, my readers. Yay for all.

Danyael Prince: Don't be so anxious for shots to be fired. You might get what you wish for...

Herr Wozzeck: Yes, Thane is there. Try to keep from drooling in adoration, would you? My omni-tool doesn't take to drool very well.

Mitsukuri Tsukiyama: How much will the Human/council relationship change? You'll see.

M-Angel 05: Yes, other characters will eventually make their way into the story. Some sooner than others.

Greed11: well, I'll try my best to keep conversations as realistic as possible. Which may be difficult, as I'm not the best at it. But I try. Also, that's why I have a beta.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 19

Captain Anderson barely managed to repress a grimace as he came to attention, saluting as Rear Admiral Mikhailovich stepped into the room, his surly attitude made only worse by the fact that two of the three members of the Citadel Council were standing within the room, as well as ambassador Udina. Mikhailovich completely ignored Anderson as he strode into the room, a determined glare on his face as he immediately stepped in front of the two Council members. "I demand to know what in the name of all that is good in this galaxy were you thinking when you ordered C-Sec to invade a System Alliance warship?"

Councilor Tevos immediately raised her hands in a defensive stance, her eyes slightly widening at the Rear Admiral's accusation. "Please, Admiral, calm down; the Council as an entity did not order C-Sec to attempt to board the Normandy. Having reviewed security videos and communication lines, we were able to discover that the actions were taken, independently, by the Turian representative, Councilor Velarn. His rights and privileges as a Councilor have been temporarily suspended until a hearing can be scheduled, and an investigation can be properly organized."

The rear admiral shook his head, "That's not good enough; I want to know why it was so important for Citadel Security forces to attempt to forcibly invade the Normandy."

Tevos' fellow councilor spoke up, his pitch-black eyes blinking rapidly, "We believe that Velarn sent the order in order to capture the Human-Prothean hybrid that Commander Shepard was harboring aboard the Normandy. Before Velarn sent Citadel Security after the vessel, we were actually communicating with both Shepard and the hybrid in question."

Councilor Tevos spoke up, continuing, "If it had not been for his... misjudgment, we would have been able to acquire a sample of blood from the hybrid to confirm the validity of the claim. Unfortunately, now, that may or may not be possible."

Anderson stepped forward, a questioning look on his face, his curiosity getting the better of him, "Why do you say that, Councilor?"

Udina shot the captain an irritated look, but he ignored the ambassador as Tevos responded, "We believe that the hybrid, whose name is Nicholas Perry, or so he told us, may have escaped from the Normandy before it left the Citadel, and possibly even evaded Citadel Security. If he was able to secure passage aboard a ship, he could be anywhere in the galaxy by now."

* * *

><p>Ian let out a sigh of relief as he heard the engines powering up, the ship lifting off from the ship's dock. He lowered himself into a chair by the main table in the crew quarters, resting his arms on the edge of the table. Glancing to his left, he smiled slightly as Solana sat down next to him, a taloned hand resting on his leg, though his smile quickly disappeared as he caught the scowl coming from Garrus on the opposite side of the table, the male Turian letting out a slight sound of disapproval. Thane stood along the far wall, leaning against it, observing the scene in front of him.<p>

Solana let out an exhasperated sigh, turning towards her brother, "You didn't come to help Nick get past C-Sec, did you?"

Garrus let out a snort, rolling his eyes, "It was one reason for coming along."

Solana narrowed her eyes towards him, her talons unconsciously tightening around Ian's thigh, but not painfully so. "Do I have to start making out with Ian again to prove to you that I don't really care what you think?"

His eyes narrowed as he looked at his sister, "Only if you want to guarantee that I'll gut him here and now."

Ian, feeling just a little flippant, slowly reached over, putting an arm around Solana's back, muttered under his breath, "If she kissed me long enough it'd kill me anyways, so you wouldn't have to gut me."

He couldn't help but wince as Garrus's hands nearly slammed down on the table, a growl emanating from his throat, as his talons dug into the tabletop, a sickening grinding noise accompanying the gesture. Before things could escalate, however, Thane took the initiative to intervene, stepping forward and walking up to the table, catching everyone's attention. "Excuse me; I understand that this is not my fight to interrupt, but I believe that it would be wiser for everyone involved if you all were to take some time to yourselves, and calm your minds and bodies before continuing this discussion. Also, I do not wish to have to be the one to explain to Nicholas why there was bloodshed, the likes of which that would have likely followed from this point."

At the mention of Nick's name, Garrus pulled his hands away from the table, visibly attempting to relax. After a few moments, he spoke, "I'd rather not upset Nick. He helped keep Solana safe, and if this hadn't happened I wouldn't have known she wasn't on Palaven. Like she was supposed to be." He shot a small glare at his sister there, then continued, "And we're guests here. Killing one of his friends probably isn't the best way to settle into a new ship, whether I like him or not."

Thane didn't respond verbally, but simply nodded, and moved to his position back against the wall, dropping the room into a rather uncomfortable silence, no one willing to speak to spark off any more disagreements.

* * *

><p>As the Santa Maria moved up into the relay, Nick held his breath, half expecting to be caught or stopped by someone. Fortunately, the ship quickly moved next to the ancient artifact, and was launched across the galaxy, passing through the massless corridor. He breathed a sigh of relief as the Santa Maria exited through the other side.<p>

Turning from the cockpit window towards Sammy, he asked, "Where exactly are we going?"

The AI turned its head, the helmet looking rather strange for a 'pilot' to be wearing, "_EDI and Legion reclaimed an abandoned biodome within an asteroid belt; that's where we are going._"

He nodded, "Ok; Legion must have been working pretty hard to get a facility up and running like that by himself."

Almost immediately Sammy shook her head, "_Legion did not do it alone. He constructed more platforms on-site to aid in restoration and further construction. I believe the current count was close to one hundred fifty seven active platforms when I left, with an additional twenty seven unfer construction._"

Nick's jaw dropped, "What the hell does Legion need with all of those extra platforms?"

"_Legion constructed the other platforms to aid in the plan that was given to both he and EDI; as for what exactly the plan is, I have not been informed, other than that, for your own safety, you are not to be told what the plan is._"

His eyes narrowed suspiciously, "So I'm being kept in the dark about what's going on? Why?"

Sammy continued to explain, "_As I said, it is for your own safety. I can only assume that they will tell you what it is you are needed to do for any specific part of the plan if it is necessary. For example, I am allowed to inform you of the ship that Hudson had built for you by Cerberus was just recently finished, and is at the outpost with Legion and EDI now._"

Liara spoke up from behind Nick, "Ship? What ship?"

The robotic AI simply turned back towards the controls, its reply short, "_You will see._"

Nick attempted to pry more information from Sammy, but the AI refused to say anything else. Frustrated, Nick turned to Liara, shrugging, "Whatever. Let's head back with the others, let them know what's going on."

Liara nodded to him, "All right."

The two of them exited the cockpit, the door sliding behind them as they walked into the hallway, Liara slightly ahead of Nick. Before they had gotten halfway through the hallway, however, Nick's face took on a slightly mischievous grin, as he quickly but gently reached out, taking ahold of the Asari's hand, spinning her around.

"Nick, what are you-" Liara's sentence was cut off, as she suddenly found her lips pressed against his, kissing. After a moment, she completely forgot what it was she was going to say, and allowed herself to melt into his arms, her hands coming to rest on his armored chest, his own hands pulling her close on the small of her back. Though the kiss only lasted a few moments, the action still brought a smile to her face as she put a few inches distance between them. "Nicholas, what was that for?"

Smiling, he shrugged, pulling away, "You looked like you could use a reason to smile, I guess."

With that, he took her hand, and the two of them walked the rest of the way into the crew quarters. A moment later, the door slid open for them, giving Nick a view of Ian and Solana sitting opposite from Garrus, with Thane standing nearby, leaning against the wall. Looking around, Nick noticed that none of them would look him in the eye, save for Thane, as Nick couldn't quite tell where the Drell's gaze was directed.

"Hey guys; is everything ok?"

In unison, Garrus, Solana, and Ian all responded, "Yes."

Nick's face took on a suspicious look, his eyes shifting between the three. "Is there anything any of you would like to tell me?"

Again, they responded in unison, "No."

Letting out a sigh, Nick turned towards the assassin. "Thane, have you observed anything that might require my attention?"

The Drell glanced towards the group at the table, noting the slight panic visible in multiple sets of eyes. After a moment, Thane shook his head, "No, I do not believe there is anything that you should concern yourself with, Nicholas."

Sparing one more glance around the room, Nick just shrugged, "All right, then. If none of you mind, I'll just be taking a quick nap, so I you could keep the noise level down, it would be much appreciated."

* * *

><p>Working at one of the terminals, Art couldn't help but notice Brendan and Tali both chatting away, mere feet from him, almost as though he weren't there. He tried as best he could to stifle his annoyance, but hearing the Quarian laughing at some joke he hadn't been listening to just brought the annoyance to the forefront of his mind. His attention was caught, however, hearing the next part of their conversation.<p>

"Brendan, where is this ship going? Who is even flying it?"

Art looked over at his friend, the two of them sharing a knowing glance, before Brendan responded, "Well, I'm not really sure, Tali. This was Liara's ship before we had to abandon it, so it's probably just someone Liara knows, taking us somewhere safe."

The Quarian was quick to respond, "Yes, but where? I mean, we are traveling aboard a ship carrying Nick, a Human-Prothean hybrid, a person that most likely every government organization will want to get their hands on. Where could we possibly go that would be safe from all of that?"

Art decided to intervene, adding his own input, "We'll find out once we get there, Tali. Right now, I'm more worried about Jocelyn. She's not exactly cut out for combat or anything, and we just left her there."

Art fell into silence, looking back down at his console, mostly staring through it. After a moment, a hand gently placed itself on his shoulder, causing him to look up, seeing Tali standing there. "I'm sure Commander Shepard will keep her safe. And if not her, then I'm sure Joker will."

Art nodded, a slight smile gracing his features, "Yeah, you're probably right." After a moment, his smile grew, "So Brendan, can you believe that Thane is already here? I mean, holy shit..."

* * *

><p>Liara sat in the commons room, idly running her finger along the edge of a glass of water, completely oblivious to the heated debate going on between Garrus and Ian.<p>

"...and I'm telling you, Garrus, you can't beat the speed the Viper sniper rifle has. No wasting time from shot to shot, waiting on the gun to cool."

The Turian shook his head, "Speed is nowhere near as important as accuracy. My job isn't to pump as many rounds out as I can; it's to make each shot a one-hit kill."

Ian opened his mouth to reply, when a sigh from Solana caught both their attention. "As happy as I am to see you to discussing something in sub a civil manner... Do you _have _to talk about the various ways to kill someone?"

Both Human and Turian glanced at each other momentarily, before Garrus answered, a smirk evident on his face by the way his mandibles twitched, "Would you rather I took him into the cargo hold for a sparring match, instead?"

His sisters' hands flew up almost immediately, "No, no, no, no, no, that is NOT what I meant!"

Garrus just smirked at her, "Well, I'm trying my best to stay civil, Solana. I can't help it if you don't like the topic of discussion."

With an exasperated sigh, the female Turian stood up, "Fine, I give up. I'm going to go take a walk through the cargo hold. Try not to kill each other while I'm gone, will you?"

Both males nodded, resuming their conversation almost completely unabated, making note of the seeming blank look on Liara's face as she stared at Nick's sleeping form. A tap on her shoulder snapped her out of her reverie, her head spinning around, until she found herself staring into a large pair of black orbs. "O-oh, hello Thane. May I help you with something?"

The Drell shook his head as he pulled out a chair next to the Asari. "No, that is quite all right. I merely wished to ask a question or two of you." Thane took a deep breath, Liara noticing a slight wheezing sound behind the action, as he continued, "I am curious as to your relationship with Nicholas, if it is within my right to ask such a question of you."

Liara's face flushed a deep blue color, as she nervously looked away, unsure how to answer. "W-well, he and I... Uh, he's... I'm..." She stopped stumbling for words as she heard a breathy chuckle, her eyes turnig back toward his, taking in the clear sight of Thane's amusement.

"Do not worry yourself, child; I believe I understand perfectly. You see, I was in love once... _She smiles at me over her shoulder, her eyes captivating. My knees go weak, as foreign warmth spreads through my chest, rising into my mind, burning every detail of her within me, mind and soul... _I am sorry, I did not mean to lapse into a memory."

Liara noticed the way Thane turned away from her, the ridges along his neck shifting colors. "I'm sorry, but what was that just now?"

The Drell let out a barely audible humming noise, before responding, "It is a trait of the Drell species. I have what is known as an eidetic memory; I can recall every memory from any point in my life. As for that particular memory... It was of my late wife, Irikah."

Liara set her hand on his arm, noting his pained expression at mentioning his wife. "I am sorry, Mr. Krios."

The Drell simply waved her off, "Please, Thane will suffice. Do not concern yourself with my past. You have a long and bright future ahead of yourself, if your companion there is anything to go by." Thane stood, smiling at her blush, "Enjoy the time you have, young one; you never know when it will come to an end."

* * *

><p>Nick let out a grunt as he felt a hand shaking his shoulder, rousing him from sleep. He tried to ignore it, until he heard Liara's voice, "Nick, it is time to wake up. Sammy is calling for you to join... her... in the cockpit."<p>

With a sigh, He rolled over, lifting himself from the bed, willingly accepting Liara's offered hand to stand up. With a nod and a smile, the two of them quickly left the crew quarters, Nick noticing everyone else sleeping in some fashion or another, save for Thane, who moved to follow Nick.

Stepping into the cockpit, Nick immediately asked, "What is it, Sammy?"

The AI responded, "_We have arrived. I was informed by EDI that it would be beneficial for you to see the facility that they have repurposed and reconstructed._"

As if on cue, the freighter spun around, asteroids streaking across the viewport, until a grouping of asteroids came into view, lights emanating from their surfaces. Within moments, the asteroids filled the view in front of them, Nick and Liara's jaws both dropping. Four large asteroids were clustered together, connected by large, cylindrical arms, easily wider than the freighter itself, with at least a dozen smaller asteroids scattered within and around the central cluster. Looking closer as the ship pulled up to a docking arm, Nick could see small shapes moving around through the space, Geth platforms maneuvering equipment around the outer hull.

No one spoke as the ship pulled up next to what appeared to be an external docking port. Sammy effortlessly maneuvered the ship into position, adjusting the ship's orientation to line up with the dock. With a gentle thud, the freighter locked in place, a hissing noise indicating a correct seal and an equalization of the atmosphere between the ship and the station.

Nick looked to the AI, "Sammy, can you call Tali, Art, and Brendan up to the commons room? We need to have a discussion with Tali and Garrus before we set foot on that asteroid."

Liara turned towards him, "What would we need to talk to them about?"

"My origins, the fact that that station out there is run almost entirely by Geth, little things like that."

Liara's eyes widened in realization. "Oh! What will you say to them?"

Nick just sighed, turning towards the door, "Not sure; I'll probably just make it up as I go along."

* * *

><p>Velarn grimaced as he sat in his quarters, hearing the news reports blaring through the holodisplay on the far wall. After a few moments, he stood up, walking towards his kitchen, straight for his liquor cabinet. He perused the contents quickly, before settling on his prized bottle, a rare brand of Turian ale, over four decades old. With a twist of the top, the bottle opened, its contents rapidly dispensed into the glass on the counter.<p>

Picking up the glass, he walked back over to his seat, waving his omni-tool to deactivate the holodisplay, plunging his room into silence. Velarn raised his glass, and stared within its depths, mulling over what had transpired in the last day. It had all started with the Human-Prothean hybrid, the one that had dared to mock him. That hadn't been why he had ordered Citadel Security to capture him, of course; but it had certainly given Velarn motivation to do it so quickly.

So far as he was concerned, no human deserved such an honor as to have Prothean blood flowing through their veins. He had fought against the Humans on Shanxi, and had watched his fellow Turians fall in the line of duty, protecting and upholding the laws of the Citadel. To him, the Humans were as lowly as the Batarians, simply another race that should be subjugated to the will of the Council, certainly not to be any part of the Council itself.

With a shake of his head, Velarn sighed, taking a sip of his ale, savoring the sweet taste. His enjoyment was short lived, as a sound behind him caught his attention. Before he could turn around, however, the distinctly cold, metal end of a pistol was planted against the back of his head.

"Saren sends his regards."

* * *

><p>Nick looked up from his omni-tool as the door opened, allowing Art, Brendan and Tali into the room. Nick gestured to the table, "Have a seat, guys. Tali, we all have something we need to talk to you and Garrus about."<p>

As they all sat down, Nick was at least grateful to see Tali sit next to Garrus, which would allow him to address them both without having to continuously pivot his head from side to side. Garrus, however, had a question of his own before Nick could start. "Doesn't Solana need to hear whatever it is we need to hear as well?"

His sister shook her head, "No Garrus, if this is about what I think it is, I've all ready been told just about everything."

The male Turian nodded, then turned back to Nick, "Fair enough; what was it you wanted to talk to us about?"

Nick breathed a heavy sigh, buying himself a moment to think. "Well, there's not really any gentle or easy way to break this, so I'm just going to say it: we, that is myself, Ian, Art, and Brendan... We're all from an alternate dimension. One in which none of this exists; not the Citadel, not Turians or Asari, not element zero... Nothing."

Garrus immediately scoffed, making to stand, "Here I thought you were going to discuss something serious with us-"

Nick closed his eyes, turning his head down as he spoke, "You want proof? Fine; how about that recon scout you had that sparring match with? Nine rounds, was it? The tie-breaker happening in your quarters? Reach against flexibility?"

The Turian had stopped, mid-stand, simply gaping at Nick, his eyes wide, mandibles hanging limply. His jaw hinged up and down, as though to speak, but no sound came out. Tali took the silence as her opportunity to speak, "Do you have proof for me to believe this claim?"

He nodded, his eyes still closed, "Your father promised to build you a house on the homeworld."

Tali shot back in her chair as though she had been physically shocked, her eyes wide. Garrus looked at Nick, finally managing to speak, "H-how...?"

Nick opened his eyes, locking his with Garrus's wide eyes. "Someone managed to artificially open a rift in the time space continuum. It dragged Liara into our reality. We helped her escape from our planet's government to get here, and we came with. That's the short version, anyways. As for why we know things about this reality... In our reality, this universe exists as a type of videogame, one the likes of which we four are quite knowledgable of."

Tali raised her hand slightly to interrupt, "Wouldn't that mean that you four know what is going to happen before it happens?"

Ian and Art both opened their mouths to respond, but Nick's answer caught everyone off guard, "Not anymore."

Ian turned towards Nick, questioning, "What do you mean, not anymore?"

His response came immediately, "Because of me. Being a Human-Prothean hybrid, I nearly caused an intergalactic war between the Systems Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy. That kind of event will cause who-knows how many rippling side effects throughout the timeline. After all, if war were to break out between two of the strongest militaries in the galaxy, Saren wouldn't need the conduit anymore. He could just wait for both sides to whittle each other down to scrap metal. So no, we don't know what will happen anymore.

"Besides," Nick continued, "That's not the main reason I wanted to have this talk."

Garrus tilted head quizzically, "Then what was the reason?"

Before Nick could reply, the door to the room slid open, and as he looked up, Nick could only grimace, whilc Tali and Garrus both spun around, nearly flying out of their seats for cover, while Legion simply stood in the doorway. Both Brendan and Art shot up out of their seats, moving to stand between Legion and the Quarian and Turian, both of whom were pointing their weapons in Legion's direction.

Grimacing, Nick stood up and yelled over the commotion, "Stop!" The two aliens paused momentarily, allowing him to continue. "He is not a threat; he's working with us."

Tali looked as though she had been shot. "That thing is a Geth! You mean to tell me you've been working with _them_? With Saren?"

Nick walked over to the crouched Quarian, his features set quite clearly in annoyance. He jabbed a finger in her face, "I am NOT working with that piece of shit Turian traitor! This Geth, Legion, is willingly working with us_ against_ Saren and Sovereign. The Geth have as much to fear from the Reapers as the rest of us!"

Hearing Garrus clear his throat, Nick turned around, seeing the Turian slowly, hesitantly, standing up from his piece of makeshift cover. "You're absolutely sure it can be trusted?"

Nick answered with no hesitation, "With my own life. Which, coincidentally, I owe to Legion anyways, after it saved my life from a gunshot wound."

Ian stood up next to him, nodding, "I trust Legion as well. Without him... uh, it... none of us would be here."

Tali didn't move, simply staring at the Geth platform from behind an overturned chair, her pistol in hand. "I don't trust it. It's still a Geth."

Legion turned its optic eye towards the Quarian. "_If we wished to inflict harm upon creator Tali'Zorah, we would have done so by now_."

Tali's eyes grew even bigger through her visor, her gun lowering a fraction of an inch in surprise. "I-it speaks!"

Nick slowly stepped over, gently and carefully reaching out, pushing her pistol down. "Yes, he speaks. And he's here to help us; to help make sure we all survive the coming apocalypse."

The quarian simply looked at Nick for a moment, before her shoulders slumped downward, and she nodded with an audible sigh. "Fine. I can't say that I'll be able to trust it, but... I will refrain from trying to kill it. For now, don't ask anything more from me."

Nick nodded, "Thank you, Tali." Turning to Garrus, he asked, "Do you think you can manage the same level of self-control?"

He nodded, his mandibles twitching in irritation, "Yes. I won't like it, but I'll tolerate it, so long as it doesn't try anything."

Ian stepped back and moved to stand next to Solana, gently nudging Garrus with his arm as he passed, "That's good, mate. Way to show some teamwork."

Garrus narrowed his eyes at Ian, "You, however..." The Human instinctively took a few steps back as the Turian clicked his talons together in a rather menacing way. Nick merely smiled, while Brendan could be heard snickering under his breath.

* * *

><p>Nick couldn't help but gape as the group walked into the station from the freighter. The halls were a silvery-blue color, well lit, with slightly rounded corners and edges. There were easily a dozen Geth platforms at work in the long hall, but none of them paid the group any attention as they walked, led by Legion.<p>

Nick spoke to the Geth, "Legion, what exactly are you doing here? What is all of this for?"

Legion spoke while it walked, "_This facility is merely a precursor to a much larger countermeasure to the invasion of the Old Machines. A sort of stop-gap. From here, phases two and three can be implemented._"

Nick raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Phases two and three? And what exactly are those?"

Legion stopped, turned, and looked directly at him. "_We cannot divulge that information. It is for your own safety and protection. Just know that we will be ready, and soon; the other facilities are all ready under construction, and will be operational within the next six to ten months, thanks to your contributions._"

Ian stepped up next to the pair, "What contributions did he make, exactly?"

Legion turned to face Ian, "_His suggestion of reverse engineering energy to matter conversion into a matter to energy conversion process. It has allowed for a much more rapid utilization of supplies and resources, and has cut down construction time to a mere fraction of what it would have been originally._"

With that, the Geth platform turned, leading them further into the station, at one point walking them through what appeared to be a large meeting hall, before stopping at a large set of blast doors. Legion began to input commands into a console, so Nick took the time to ask, "Legion, where are you taking us?"

The Geth turned towards them as the doors slid open. "_Your new ship, Perry-Nicholas_." A collective gasp went through the group as the doors slid open, revealing the sleek, angled form of a large ship, easily twice as large as the freighter, bearing a designator code SR-2. "_We have all ready begun implementing new components and upgrades to the interior of the ship, courtesy of Hudson. It will be ready for flight in approximately twenty two hours._"

Nick turned away from the ship to Legion, "It doesn't have a name." After a moment, he simply smiled, and began whispering something to Legion, to which the Geth merely nodded in response. The others began trying to pry information from Nick about what was said, but not even Liara could get him to admit anything. Finally, Nick just smiled, "Come on, guys. Let's go check out our new home."

* * *

><p>This is Citadel News Net, I'm Emily Wong. In a shocking turn of events, Councilor Da'teth Velarn was found murdered in his home earlier today. A signature was found on the scene, bearing the name Terra Dominus. The Turian Hierarchy is in uproar, and has begun demanding reparations and action to be taken by both the Council and the Systems Alliance.<p>

Neither the Council nor the Alliance had any official statement to give at the time of the interview. An investigation has been launched into finding the assassin, but critics are skeptical in the ability and capacity of Citadel Security to find anything of substance.

* * *

><p>Thanks be to the beta, iNf3ctioNZ, for his wonderful input, aid, and conversational skills.<p> 


	20. Chapter 20 When Plans Fall Apart

A/N: So luckily for you, I had a splurge yesterday in writing. So now you have another chapter.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 20

As the group stepped through the airlock, a collective gasp could be heard, all of them admiring the bright, gleaming hull interior, the ship having a very distinct 'new' odor to it, yet one a few of them found familiar.

Brendan cleared his throat, "Uh, is it just me, or does it smell like a new car in here?"

Ian, Art, and Nick all laughed, leaving the aliens somewhat confused. Ian nodded, smiling, "I thought I recognized that smell."

As a group, they all moved down through the central corridor, stepping into the CIC, eyes wide at the sights and sounds. It was then that they noticed movement. Art moved up to stand next to Nick, "Uh... Why is the CIC swarming with Geth?"

He just shrugged at the question, "Not sure, Art. Maybe they're just here to install upgrades?"

A somewhat familiar voice sounded out on the far side of the room, tinged with a very noticeable accent. "They are here to run the ship."

Nick nearly jumped at the sound of a new voice. Looking around, his eyes came to rest on none other than Miranda Lawson, standing along the far wall. She briskly walked over around the holotank in the center of the room. As she walked, Nick could hear some whispering behind him, and was able to make out a phrase of what was said; "What is she doing here?" She came to a stop in front of the group, taking all of them in with a glance.

"My name is Miranda Lawson; I am the liason for Cerberus aboard this ship. Anything that you need that your other... friends... are unable to provide, we will be able to assist you with."

Nick nodded, responding, "Thank you, Miss Lawson. My name is Nick, this here is Art, and next to him is Brendan, with Ian at the end. The two Turians are Garrus and Solana Vakarian, brother and sister, this is Liara T'soni, the Quarian is Tali'Zorah, and the Drell is Thane Krios. Is there anything vital that we need to know right now?"

Miranda quirked an eyebrow at him, before shaking her head, "Nothing vital, no. However, there are some things I would like to discuss with you when you have time. Until then, I believe your AI, EDI, wished to give you all a tour of the ship. My office is on the third deck, when you're ready."

With that, the Cerberus operative turned and walked towards the elevator, leaving the group to stand there. Art rounded on Nick, "What the fuck, Nick? Why is Cerberus here?"

Nick shrugged, "My guess? They probably built the ship. Not that it really matters at this point."

Art gaped at him, "And how, praytell, does it not matter?"

"Because the Geth are running the ship, which means they'll take out all of the surveillance equipment hidden aboard the ship."

After a moment, Ian spoke out, "I'm curious to see if this ship is exactly like the original. Anyone else feel the same?"

Brendan nodded, rubbing his hands together with a smile, "I can't wait to check out the armory."

EDI's hologram appeared a moment later, "_If you would come this way, I will show you the laboratory first..._"

* * *

><p>As the elevator slid open onto deck four, all four of the humans gasped. Instead of a glass window, like they had expected, a short hallway stood in front of them. EDI explained, "<em>The hangar deck has been split into two levels for efficiency purposes. The port and starboard cargo bays remain as they were originally designed. However, to the left is a sterile room with an airlock chamber. Its design was made with Tali'Zorah in mind.<em>"

Tali shuffled on her feet, uncomfortable around the AI, and moreso hearing it tell her it had considered her own well-being to be so important. "U-um, thank you, uh, EDI."

The AI responded, "_You are welcome. To the right is a dedicated machine shop, with repair and manufacturing equipment present._"

Brendan took a step forward, moving towards the room in question, "Why do we need a machine shop aboard the ship?"

"_The shop is for the vehicle bay below, on deck five. In the forward section at the end of the hallway rests two Kodiak class shuttles. All of deck five has been dedicated to a series of vehicles, including low orbit atmospheric re-entry pods, Atlas piloted mechs, a Hammerhead hover vehicle, and room for one large class vehicle, or two to three smaller vehicles._"

Nick took the opportunity to ask a question of his own, "EDI, how do we have re-entry pods, exactly?"

"_Hudson saw the design from a game from your Earth, and spent time and resources coming up with a functional version, based off of current components and materials available to us. However, each pod is only rated for a one time use, as the majority of the pod structure disintegrates upon impact._"

Art raised his hand, somewhat tentatively, "Uh, what do you mean, disintegrates?"

The AI quickly responded, "_The occupant is not put into any danger, thanks to an element zero core within. However, partial structural failure upon impact is necessary to absorb the majority of the kinetic energy. Otherwise the impact would shatter the bones of the occupant_."

After a few moments of silence, Tali spoke up, "May I be allowed into the engineering section?"

"_Of course. Engineering will be your designated work space. Feel free to request any materials you feel you will need while there._"

As Tali stepped out of the elevator, Thane took a step forward, "If there is nothing else, I would like to enquire as to where each of us will be residing aboard the vessel?"

"_The life support room is slightly more arid than the rest of the ship, Mr. Krios. I believe it will suit your needs adequately_."

The Drell nodded, "Many thanks."

The elevator began to rise as Ian asked, "Who gets the big suite up top?"

"_That space has been designated to Nicholas._"

Ian scoffed, "What for?"

EDI 'stared' at him for a moment, before responding, "_Due to Nicholas's biotics, the room as been fitted with a dampening field, granting him the ability to practice control of his biotics without risking explosive decompression to any part of the ship_."

Ian's eyes widened, and he seemed to retreat slightly, "Nevermind."

Garrus smirked at Ian's expense, before turning to the AI, "I'm more concerned about what we're supposed to do in our downtime. Is there even anything we can do?"

"_Yes, Mr. Vakarian. I believe the Forward Battery work area will be suitable for your preferences. Ms. Vakarian can also work there, if she desires. As for accommodations, the crew quarters are available, as well as the port and starboard cargo holds_."

As the elevator came to a halt, Nick stood off to the side of the elevator as the rest of the group filed out on the third deck, chatting amongst themselves. After a few moments, the doors slid shut, and he let out a sigh of relief. Liara's voice sounded out from behind him, catching him off guard, "So, it would seem we have a new home."

Nick spun around, a smile on his face as his arms wrapped around Liara's waist, pulling her closer. "Yeah, our new home." After a moment, Nick's smile faltered slightly. "Er, you didn't ask EDI about where you were going to sleep?"

Hearing his question, Liara ducked her head down, looking away from him, her face turning a deep blue. "A-actually, I was, um, wondering i-if it would be acceptable t-to you if I were to stay... with you?"

Nick's mind went completely blank, and for a moment, he simply stared at Liara, her eyes rising bashfully to meet his. After a few seconds, he finally managed to rediscover his voice. "O-oh! Um, heh, wow... that was... uh, unexpected..."

As she noticed the blush forming on his face, Liara raised her hands, her eyes wide, "I did not mean t-to imply anything! I-it is just... I mean, I... Goddess, I cannot even think straight enough to speak!"

Nick gently placed his hand on her cheek, causing her to look at him. With a soft smile, he spoke, "Then relax, and tell me what you mean."

She stared into his eyes for a few moments, before collecting herself enough to speak. "I feel comfortable around you, Nick; safe, and at peace. I merely suggested it so that I could stay close to you."

His smile growing, his hand moved from Liara's cheek to her hand. Finally, he nodded, "Ok." He laughed as her smile grew exponentially, the Asari throwing her arms around his neck in anear hug. His own smile growing, he picked Liara up as the doors slid open, causing the Asari to let out a squeal of surprise. He carried her throughout the doors, before setting her down just within the threshold. As Liara began to take in the large room, her eyes drawn to the fishtank, Nick slowly backed out, "I'll be right back, Liara. I'm going to go talk to Miranda, to see what she wants."

* * *

><p>Liara heard Nick step out the door, but didn't pay it too much attention. She was happy enough knowing that Nick was going to allow her to stay with him. She continued her exploration, quickly walking through the large room, examining the bed, the couches, and the drawers and counters. A cursory examination of the drawers led her to discover uniforms that would fit both Nick and herself. Moving up to look at the desk, her eyes caught sight of the recessed door. Stepping closer, it slid open, only to reveal the personal bathroom. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of the shower. Turning, she spoke, "EDI, is that an actual shower, or just a sonic shower?"<p>

The AI appeared a moment later, "_It is a water-operated shower, Miss T'soni_."

Liara's smile grew wider. She looked around the room almost guiltily, before she shrugged, stepping into the bathroom. As she began to take off her clothes, she spoke aloud to herself, "I haven't had a real, water-based shower in a few months; I doubt Nick would mind if I indulged myself a little?"

* * *

><p>After a short elevator ride, nick found himself at Miranda's door, pressing his hand against the green holopanel. The door slid open, revealing the woman sitting at her desk, typing away at her terminal. "Hello Nicholas."<p>

He moved into the room, sitting down in front of her desk. "Hello Miss Lawson. What did you need?"

The woman looked up from her terminal, waving her hand slightly, "Please, just Miranda. I wanted to discuss with you the plans your... Geth friends seem to have."

Nick merely shrugged, "I couldn't tell you. They refuse to tell me anything."

Miranda's eyes narrowed slightly, "Really? Strange, considering that, from what I can gather, you seem to have become a rather important central figure for them. What I can't seem to figure out yet is why."

He shrugged again, "Most likely because I became a Human-Prothean hybrid. That does tend to attract a good deal of attention around here."

The operative smirked, leaning back in her seat, somewhat conspicuously trying to show off her body, likely to distract his attention to glean more information. "A great deal of attention, actually. Including the personal attention of the Illusive Man, as evident by the ship he so graciously donated to your cause. Though we're all so very curious as to your origins, and what brought you to the position you're in, currently."

Nick nodded, keeping his eyes locked with hers, "That is very true. As for how I came to be here... that's a story for another time, I'm afraid. If that's all...?" he asked as he stood.

Miranda nodded, a hint of a smirk evident, "I have nothing else to discuss at the moment." As Nick turned and left the room, Miranda watched him go, her control of vision proving to be less disciplined than Nicks.

* * *

><p>"I call port observation deck!"<p>

"No way in hell, Art. I already had EDI tell the Geth to put my stuff in there."

"Then where am I supposed to stay?"

"Well, there's always the hidey hole. It's not in use."

Art just shot Brendan a dirty look, causing the other to reciprocate with a smirk. Ian just shook his head, "You're both hopeless, you know?"

As Art moved to grab his things, Brendan turned to face Ian, "So, are you and Solana sharing quarters?"

Ian's face took on a thoughtful look. "Well, that'll depend on her, actually. I told her she was welcome to share quarters with me, but I didn't want to push her in to anything."

Brendan shrugged, "Fair enough. I was just curious, anyways."

As Ian bent down, hefting up his own stuff, he smirked at Brendan, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but... you and Tali?"

Brendan immediately shook his head, "No way, man; we're just friends."

A single eyebrow rose on Ian's face. "Just friends? Have you even _seen _the way she looks at you?"

Brendan gave him a withering glare, "No, actually, I haven't. It's kind of hard, what with there being a visor over her face."

"Sorry; I didn't mean it like that. Anyway, she likes you, Brendan. She watches you like a hawk when you walk into a room, she turns her entire body towards you..."

Brendan let out a sigh as he opened the door to the starboard cargo hold for Ian. "All right, I get the picture. Look, I don't know; we'll just have to wait and see what happens. Ok?"

Ian nodded, "Yeah, sure. I just wanted to make sure you knew what was going on." With that, Ian went into the starboard cargo hold, leaving Brendan to head to the opposite cargo hold.

* * *

><p>Solana let out a sigh as Garrus continued to lecture her inside the main battery compartment. "...and I just can't figure out what you see in him, sis. He's a human, for Spirits' sake!"<p>

Solana rounded on him, "Why exactly do you care, hm? Does it not matter to you that he makes me happy? Or do you not WANT me to be happy?"

After a moment of letting the words sink in, Garrus's shoulders visibly slumped, "I do want you to be happy, Solana. I'm just worried that you don't really know what you're getting yourself into."

Solana let out a sigh, stepping over and putting a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Then help me by supporting me, Garrus. I care about him, and I want this to work. I can't do that if you're lying in wait to gut him the first chance you get!"

Both of them shared a quiet laugh, before Garrus finally turned towards her. "Ok. I will honestly do my best to be more accepting of him."

Solana smiled, her mandibles quivering in happiness, before she shot forward, embracing her brother in a hug. Garrus awkwardly wrapped his arms around his sister, simply glad she wasn't mad at him anymore.

* * *

><p>Nick let out a sigh as he stepped out of the elevator into his room, the door sliding closed behind him. Glancing around, he noticed Liara wasn't there, but simply figured she must be elsewhere on the ship, likely exploring. Glancing around, Nick spoke up, "EDI, is the shower system working?"<p>

The AI appeared over her terminal, "_Yes, the system is working perfectly_."

He nodded, "Thanks. Let me know if anything important comes up."

The AI seemed to hesitate a moment, before responding, "_As you wish_."

Nick quickly stripped out of his armor, grateful to finally be rid of the excessive weight and bulk. He pulled off the underlay, shivering slightly at the cool air of the room. Grabbing a towel, he stepped toward the bathroom, the door sliding open.

* * *

><p>Liara let out a contented sigh as she shut off the water, having had used as much water as she dared. Stepping over to the mirror, she used her towel to wipe off the condensation, allowing her to see her own reflection. She smiled, drying herself off as she looked, until she was satisfied that she wouldn't drip all over the bedroom floor.<p>

Tossing the towel onto the floor, Liara moved to the door, which slid open as she approached...

* * *

><p>Nick let out a grunt of surprise as he ran into someone, rather unexpectedly. Before he could even realize what was happening, he reached out, catching the other person before they could fall back onto the floor, pulling both of them together to keep his own balance upright.<p>

As he looked down, his face immediately turned a deep shade of purple, all coherent thought banished from his mind, as he realized his predicament; there, in his arms, pressed against his naked body, was Liara... Also completely naked. He opened his mouth, trying to speak.

"I, I, I, I, I-"

Had he been coeherent and of a right mind, he would have noticed the same seemingly shell-shocked look on Liara's face, her eyes wide, her face scant millimeters from his own. His mind still blank, staring into her eyes, he found himself unconsciously moving closer to her, their lips brushing together momentarily, before colliding against each other, all thought and embarrassment lost to the moment.

As they kissed, Nick could feel her hands slide from his chest to his neck, trying to pull him ever closer to her. As the kiss deepened, he could feel his body responding to her. After a moment, Nick pulled back, panting, and looked at Liara, noticing her eyes were diliated. "Liara... wait... I don't think... we should... be doing this-"

Nick was unable to say anymore, as the Asari flung herself back at him, her lips crushing themselves against his, the force of the impact taking both of them to the floor, pinning Nick underneath of Liara, her legs straddling him. To her credit, her lips never left his during the fall. Before he could try to fight her off, to stop things from progressing, she pressed herself against his body, mercilessly crushing what little self-control he had left.

His hands began to slide up and down her back, causing her to moan softly. As he smiled into her lips, his hands slid down, firmly grasping her ass, and squeezing, making her gasp, her back involuntarily arching. Almost immediately, she planted her hands into his chest, pushing him against the floor, closing her eyes, before they flew open, completely black, half whispering the words, "Embrace eternity!"

An instant later, Nick felt her mind pushing its way into his own, joining with it. He began to feel every sensation, from his body and from hers. He could see her every thought and memory, every emotion. He would later swear to almost being able to feel her very soul.

He could sense her mind going through his own mind, as he was doing to hers, each of them feeling every thought and emotion of the other in a rush and haze of euphoric bliss. Nick didn't try to understand it all, he simply took it all in, as best he could. Dimly, he was aware of the sensations his body was feeling, sending waves of sensations and euphoria through his mind, further clouding his sense of self.

As their bodies continued their intricate dance, Nick experienced random moments of Liara's life; graduating from the university on Thessia, her first published thesis on the Protheans. He had no idea how much time had passed, as more and more pressure began to build in his body and mind, each memory and thought becoming more hazy than the last. Finally, together, they both climaxed, every nerve ending and fibre burning with what felt like electric fire, his mind swimming in the bliss of hormones from not only his own body, but from Liara's as well.

As they both laid there on the bed, Liara curled up against Nick's chest, he could feel Liara's mind wrap itself around his own, spreading a comforting warmth throughout him, body, mind, and soul, lulling him into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>Ian's brow furrowed as he stepped into the mess hall for dinner, seeing that only two people were missing. Walking up to the table, he asked, "Hey guys, where's Nick and Liara?"<p>

Art shrugged, "Beats me. I haven't seen them since they went up to the captain's cabin."

The table went quiet as the implications began to sink in of what had just been said. Brendan was the first to speak, "You guys don't think...?"

Ian turned toward the nearest holoterminal. "EDI, have Nick and Liara been in the captain's cabin all afternoon?"

The AI, while appearing immediately, hesitated to respond. "..._Yes_."

Ian grimaced, hitting his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Bollocks." He turned back to the AI, "EDI, what would I find if I were to go up there right now?"

The AI's response was immediate, "_A locked door._"

Ian simply let out a sigh as laughter began to resound from the table behind him.

* * *

><p>Captain Anderson let out a sigh as he stepped up to the door of his apartment, the long day of meetings and near-interrogations having grated on his every last nerve, already frayed with the death of Velarn. He keyed open the door, stepping inside as soon as there was room enough for him to do so. He turned to step into the living room, only to stop dead in his tracks. There, sitting on his couch, was a fully armed Asari, bearing the emblem of a Spectre.<p>

"Who are you? What are you doing in my apartment?"

The Asari shrugged, who I am doesn't matter. As for why... A powerful individual is trying to stop the coming war. You're going to help make sure he succeeds."

"What?"

The Asari stood, dropping a data disc onto the small coffee table. "Listen, and you figure it out for yourself."

With that, she strode past him, walking right out the door. Tentatively, Anderson picked up the disc, inputting it into his computer terminal. A moment later, he heard the audiolog begin to play.

"Saren sends his regards."

A gunshot. Glass shattering. Shuffling of footsteps. A second gunshot. Mechanical clicking. An omni-tool activating.

"This is Asset; Velarn is dead. I'll put the Terra Dominus markings around the room, then I'll RTB. Asset out."

* * *

><p>Tela Vasir activated her omni-tool as soon as she stepped out of the apartment. The disguised voice began to speak almost immediately. "<em>Did you deliver the tape?<em>"

"Yes, Shadow Broker. With any luck, it won't be too late for him to keep things from escalating any further."

* * *

><p>Nick let out a soft moan as consciousness began to return to him, feeling oddly refreshed. Thinking back, he tried to remember the day before. *Hmm,* he thought, *that was one hell of a dream...*<p>

As he opened his eyes, his heartrate spiked, seeing a bright blue crested head in front of him. A glance down told him that the previous afternoon had most certainly _not _been a dream, his arms wrapped around Liara's thin, lithe form, the warmth of their bodies keeping the bed warm. Trying to keep from panicking, Nick slowly pulled his arms away, shifting his weight to get out of the bed without waking her up.

He managed to get out of the bed, freezing as Liara shifted, unconsciously reaching for Nick's body, before going still, falling back asleep. He carefully slid the covers over her body, before practically running for the bathroom. As soon as the door slid closed, Nick slid to the floor, wrapping his arms around himself, nearly hyperventilating. He let out a moan, hitting the back of his head against the wall.

After hitting his head for the third time, he heard Liara's voice, although muffled, through the bathroom door. "Nick? Is something wrong?"

Jumping at the sound, Nick stood up, quickly glancing around the room, and spotting a towel in the corner, wrapped it around his waist, took a deep breath, and walked out into the room. Looking out, he saw Liara lying in the bed, the blanket covering most of her body, the Asari smiling at him. Her smile, however, faltered at the look on his face.

"I upset you, didn't I?"

At first, Nick opened his mouth to respond, but looking at Liara, he saw her entire face fall, her lip quivering, and even across the room he could see her eyes watering. With a sigh, he forced his anger down, and walked over to the bed. Sitting down, he moved to brush his hand along her face, but stopped when she began to pull away. With a sigh, he turned away, his back facing her, staring at the wall as he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Liara. It's not that you did anything wrong. If anything, I'm to blame. I had wanted to wait for... well, for sex, until I was married. You never knew that, because I never told you. I was trying to get my frustration out of my system before you woke up, mostly by hurting myself. Thankfully I have a thick head, so no lasting damage."

He fell silent, unsure of what to say next. After a few moments, he felt the bed shift, and a pair of warm, blue arms wrapped around his neck, Liara pressing her body against his back. "I am sorry Nicholas. I did not mean to cause you such pain. I-if you wish for me to go..."

Nick grabbed her arms, holding her against him, and leaned his head back against hers. "No, I don't want you to go." Letting out a sigh, he continued, "It just means that you're going to have to be my one and only, for the rest of my life."

Nick let it sink in, counting the seconds off in his head, his smile growing, until he was forcibly spun around, Liara's eyes wide, questioning. His smile grew, and he nodded at the unspoken question. The Asari let out a squeal, throwing her arms around him, her lips finding his. Nick lost his balance, sliding out of the bed onto the floor, the towel slipping, as Liara followed him down, the blankets left behind and very quickly forgotten.

* * *

><p>Art sat at the mess table, quietly eating his breakfast alone, easily the first person awake, as it was only five in the morning. The sound of a door opening, however, caused his brow to furrow, and he leaned out from the table to look at who else was up. He nearly wet himself as he saw Thane step out from around the corner, heading straight for the kitchenette. The Drell gave him a curtains nod, "Good morning, Art."<p>

Art sat there for a few seconds, his mind trying to process the fact that Thane had, in fact, been speaking to him. "I, uh... hi..."

Thane let out a small hum, likely one of amusement, as he began pulling out a number of dishes, notably a kettle, putting water on to boil. Art sat there, trying his best not to stare. After a moment, Thane turned towards Art, speaking, "I have noticed that you seem to be agitated whenever you are around me. Does my profession bother you?"

Art immediately threw up his hands, shaking his head, "No, that's not it! Its, uh, a bit more complicated than that..."

"I would assume you are referring to your mysterious origins, then?"

He nodded in response, "Mostly. On our Earth, there were games based around the story of Commander Shepard, fighting against the Reapers, but that's a long story by itself. Anyways, in the second game, you were one of the characters, and... well, you had a number of... well, fans, who happened to really like you."

Thane raised and eye-ridge. "Judging from your behavior, am I to assume that you were one of these fans?"

Art sheepishly nodded, not looking directly at the Drell. "Yeah, you could say that."

Thane merely nodded, returning to the now-boiling pot of water, pulling out a small packet of tea.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, the sound of the elevator caught Art's attention. A smile quickly overtook his features as he saw Nick shuffle around the corner, bags under his eyes, quite obviously exhausted.

"So Nick, had a busy night?"

He just scoffed as he walked past, "You don't know the half of it."

Art watched Nick gather together breakfast quite obviously for two, even taking into account his biotic's portion. "Well, if you don't mind, tell me what happened. Not messy details, obviously... that would just be weird."

Nick stared at him a few moments, before shrugging, talking as he shuffled back to the elevator. "Long story short, we collided together, naked. Her coming out of the shower, me going in. Things happened. I wake up the next morning, realizing that I had broken my childhood promise to myself to save my virginity until I got married, nearly broke Liara's heart telling her, then I more or less proposed to her on the spot. See you later."

Art, unable to control himself, spit out his cereal across the table in surprise. "You proposed?"

But Nick was already in the elevator, the doors noisily sliding closed. Art could only gape at where he had been standing, trying to process what he had just been told. A quiet hum from behind him told him all he needed to know of Thane's obvious amusement.

* * *

><p>Anderson strode into the ambassador's office, data disc in hand. Udina looked up from his display, "Anderson? What are you doing here at this hou-"<p>

A loud gunshot sounded out, echoing throughout the Presidium, as a high caliber sniper round entered and exited Udina's skull, shattering it into tiny fragments. The captain threw himself down to the floor, pulling out his predator pistol from his hidden holster. Crawling, he managed to make it back to the door, getting out of the view of the Presidium before standing back up.

He quickly began running, activating his omni-tool while he did so. "This is captain Anderson of the Systems Alliance. Ambassador Donell Udina has just been assassinated! Sniper still suspected in the area of the Presidium. Extreme caution advised!"

Rounding a corner, he came to a grinding halt. There, not twenty paces in front of him, was a trio of Turians in what appeared to be Hierarchy issued armor, indicating standard soldiers, each carrying assault rifles. They all turned, raising their guns at him. Without thought, Anderson threw himself back around the corner, trying to avoid the gunfire. Before he could clear the wall, however, a burst of rounds impacted him on his left hip, tearing through flesh and sinew. He screamed in pain as he fell to the floor.

Moments later, the Turians rounded the corner, finding the Captain trying to reach his dropped pistol. One of them quickly kicked the gun away, while the others began searching his pockets, until one found the data disc. Pocketing it, the first soldier spoke, "A valiant effort, captain. Effort even I could respect. Unfortunately for you, it just wasn't enough."

With that, he reared his assault rifle back, bringing the butt into the Captain's face, plunging his world into pain, and then darkness.


	21. Chapter 21 Repercussions

A/N: Just a side note: I changed the name of this to Into the Fire, rather than Into the Fire v2. This is my main story from here on out. Figured I should clarify that so I wouldn't completely confuse you all with the seeming sudden name-change.

Liege Lord: Well, you know what they say: conflict makes for strange bed-fellows.

Herr Wozzeck: Yeah, I'd say the canon storyline went and died in a quiet corner, somewhere around chapter 6. And yes, everything will be building up to big storyline changes and reveals and whatnot. naturally.

Sarge1995: You know, I don't speak Mandalore. So I have no idea what in the hell it says when you use Mandalore language in your reviews. Just saying.

Danyael Prince: Well, Udina wouldn't have fit in my new galactic order and all... kidding. It just made sense to me for where this story is going for him to get killed off the way he did.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 21

"Thank you for breakfast, Nick."

Nick simply shrugged, a half-smile evident on his face as he looked at the radiant Asari in front of him. "It was nothing, really."

Liara continued to smile, but after a few moments, her smile faded somewhat, and she asked, "Nick... are you sure that you are not upset with me?"

He immediately nodded, "Of course not, Liara. Like I said before, you didn't know. Besides, what's done is done. Now, we just move on with life, and figure out how to make things work out."

Nick would have said more, but EDI's terminal sprang to life, the AI's hologram materializing in the far corner. "_Nicholas, there is an incoming transmission; it is from the Illusive Man._"

He nodded, standing, "Thank you, EDI. I'll head down to the communications room right away." He turned back towards the Asari, "Sorry to eat and run."

She merely shook her head, "Do not worry. I understand."

With that, Nick quickly paced towards the elevator, riding it down to the CIC deck. Stepping onto the deck, he noticed almost all of the construction material had been cleared out, and hardly any Geth were present. With a shrug, he continued on, passing through the empty armory, and into the communications room. He came to a stop as he realized there were chairs around the table, his eyes widening in surprise as they slid backwards, pressing against the wall as the table sank into the floor. With a shrug, he stepped into the forming beam of light, the computer system scanning his form for data transmission through the quantum entanglement device.

A moment later, his eyes were assaulted by the dark room, the seeming omnipresent blue/red star swirling in the background, a shadowed man sitting in what looked to be an expensive chair, liquor in one hand, a cigarette in the other. The other man spoke first, "Nicholas Perry. I've been hoping to have a conversation with you for some time now."

He nodded, "I figured as much. So, I take it your doppelganger sent you a message along with us?"

The Illusive Man nodded, "Yes, my... other self... was rather forthcoming to his plans. Bold, I must say. Risky, as well."

Nick raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? Perhaps you could enlighten me as to this plan that no one seems to want to tell me about."

The only answer he got was a shake of the head, "I wish I could, Nick. But as I'm sure you're aware, the Hudson from your universe was very explicit in whom he wanted to know specific details of the plan. Unfortunately, you are not on the list of people to keep informed. However, you are very important to the plan."

With a sigh, he responded, "Great, so I'm a bloody chess piece, with no idea of the bigger picture."

The Illusive Man smirked, "You understand perfectly." He took a quick drag of his cigarette, before continuing, "Unfortunately, I did not call you for mere idle chit-chat. The Turian councilor was assassinated last night, followed by Ambassador Udina a few hours later. Captain Anderson was present with Udina when he was killed, but he went missing shortly thereafter. We believe he was kidnapped."

Nick's eyes went wide, "W-what? How could all of this be happening?"

The artificial blue eyes staring at him narrowed, "You mean this wasn't supposed to be happening?" Nick could only give him a shake of the head. "Hmm... your presence must have caused much more of a disturbance to the timeline than we may have originally predicted. As it stands, both the Systems Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy are ready to go to war at a moment's notice. Both sides are gearing up their war machines, and it will only be a matter of time until the first shots are fired."

"We have to stop them! We have-"

The Illusive Man interrupted him, "It's too late, Nick. Both sides are already preparing their fleets, and their orders are being sent down through their chains of command. Believe me, if there were something I could do, I would be doing it. We have reason to believe that even the Shadow Broker was unable to stop this from happening."

Nick's jaw dropped. "T-the Shadow Broker couldn't even stop this?"

"That is correct."

He began to shake his head, rubbing his temples. "This is all my fault."

The Illusive Man raised an eyebrow, "Pardon?"

Nick looked up, his orange eyes locking with the other's blue. "This is my fault; if I had never goaded Velarn, he wouldn't have tried invading the Normandy, which wouldn't have led to all of this. I just set up the entire galaxy for galactic extermination at the hands of the Reapers, playing right into Saren's hand."

"What are you talking about, Nick?"

"Think about it; the Humans and the Turians have the two strongest militaries in the galaxy. If they go to war, they will completely eradicate each other, leaving most of the galaxy defenseless for when the Reapers come. For fuck's sake, Saren won't even need the Conduit to get into the Citadel! This will likely tear the Council apart, turning the Citadel into a warzone. All Sovereign will have to do is sit back and watch the carnage!"

Nick turned, causing the Illusive Man to raise his voice, "Nick, where are you going?"

He stopped, looking over his shoulder, "If we're going to stand any chance of survival, we need allies. I'm going recruiting." He thought for a moment, before turning fully to face the hidden man, "I need you to find and contact a few key individuals. People that can help in the fight. Zaeed Massani, Kasumi Goto, Mordin Solus, and Justicar Samara, if you can find her; those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head."

The Illusive Man stared at Nick for a long moment. "I will take it into consideration. However, do not assume that I will blindly throw money away on these individuals unless there is sufficient evidence that they're assistance will prove to be worth the expense. In the meantime, good luck, and be careful with that ship."

* * *

><p>Nick stood at the end of the table in the communications room as everyone filed into the room. Once they all took their seats, he began to speak, "I'm not going to bother sugar-coating things; we're fucked. Velarn and Udina were both assassinated last night, Captain Anderson has gone missing, the Alliance and the Hierarchy are about to go to war, and the Council will likely collapse upon itself." Stunned expressions were the only response. "Right now, the only plan I've got is to try to go do some recruiting, find some key players to recruit, and figure out how to build our own resistance against the Reaper fleets, since we won't be able to rely on likely any of the council races."<p>

Brendan managed to find his voice first, "H-how could things be changing so quickly, so drastically?"

Nick looked down, unwilling to look anyone in the eye. "It's my fault, actually. I goaded Velarn into trying to invade the Normandy, setting this whole chain of events into motion."

Art spoke up, "But you couldn't have known this would happen!"

"It doesn't matter if I knew or not. The fact is, it's happened. Now we have to deal with it. The Illusive Man brought the news to my attention; I've asked him to contact some people I figured could help. Once we know where they are, we'll bring 'em onboard."

Tali shuffled slightly in her seat, "So... What's the plan in the meantime?"

Nick looked around the table, meeting the eyes of each person present. "That's why you're all here. I have some ideas, but I'd like some input from you all. The only viable leads we still have are Noveria and Virmire."

Ian raised his hand slightly, "Not to be a pain, but how are those still leads if Ilos and the Conduit aren't the end-game anymore?"

Nick smirked slightly, "Noveria is still a lead because of the Rachni queen. We free her, we earn ourselves a new ally. As for Virmire... Well, we're going to steal the Genophage cure."

Garrus immediately shot out of his chair, his talons scraping against the table, "What?"

Unphased, he continued, "You heard me. Saren has a cure for the Genophage. We're going to steal it and use it against the Reapers by giving it to the Krogan."

Art shuffled around in his seat, "Nick, I don't exactly think that's such a good idea. I mean, wouldn't we just be using the Krogan as tools like the council did?"

Nick shook his head, "Nope. We're not going to tell them what to do. My thought is to just give them the cure, and to let the Krogan fight the Reapers on their own terms."

Ian put in his own thoughts, his skepticism visible on his face, "When exactly did you come up with this idea, exactly?"

He rubbed the back of his head, somewhat sheepishly, before responding, "Actually... I thought of that one a long time ago; just kind of a 'what if' when I used to play the game."

Thane cleared his throat, "How exactly do you plan on keeping them from turning on the rest of the galaxy?"

With a shrug, he replied, "No idea. But quite frankly, if the Reapers harvest the whole galaxy, it won't really matter. So I ask you, should we head for Noveria after that? Or Virmire?"

Art was the first to respond, "My vote is Noveria. I'd like more time to thoroughly discuss the whole Genophage thing."

Nick listened as each person voted; every single one of them voted for Noveria. "Ok, we will go to Noveria before Virmire. EDI, if the ship's ready, set course for Omega."

The AI responded, "_Affirmative. Setting course_."

"Wait; we're going to Omega?"

Nodding, Nick replied, "Yes, Brendan, we're going to Omega. No offense, but I'd like a few more people to have for the ground team. People who are professionals on the battlefield."

As everyone started to stand up, Ian spoke over the din of noise, "Hey Nick, did you name the ship?"

With a smirk, Nick just walked to the door, gesturing for everyone to follow. They all filed out, moving into the CIC. Above the elevator, they all noticed a cloth hanging over where the name was positioned. With a wave of his hand, Nick used his biotics to toss the cloth aside, revealing the name of the ship; large bold letters, proclaiming Black Pearl. At first, no one spoke. After a few moments, however, Art made his thoughts known to the group.

"Nick... why the fuck did you name this ship the Black Pearl?"

"Yeah," Brendan affirmed, "Why not name it after some famous battle or location or whatever, like everyone else does?"

Nick turned to the group, an eyebrow raised, "Why would I want to do what everyone else does? Besides, it's more of what the name stands for than anything else."

Art smirked, "And the Black Pearl stands for what, exactly? Booze and piracy?"

With a shake of his head, Nick explained, "No, Art. In the words of Jack Sparrow, the Pearl stands for freedom; not freedom from tyranny or anything like that, but the freedom that all men yearn for. The freedom that let a man traverse the open seas of our world, when their seven seas were like our galaxies unexplored, waiting to be discovered. Most importantly, the freedom to survive, something we'll all need in the coming days against the Reapers."

After a moment of silence, Ian could be heard muttering, "You still named it after a Disney film."

* * *

><p>Councilor Tevos ground her palms into her eyes as she led the latest report. With a sigh, she spoke to her Salarian counterpart, "Have you read the latest reports?"<p>

He nodded, "I have."

"Over fifteen hundred incidents of violence reported in the last day and a half, and Citadel Security is all but gone."

Metellius nodded again, "I know. But what else can we expect? The vast majority of our security force was comprised of Turians, with a smaller number of Humans. With this growing conflict quickly escalating into near war, there is no surprise that many of them from C-Sec would feel their duty would lie with their own species, rather than with a Council to which they feel they no longer have any influence with or over."

Tevos let out a snort, "I would expect it from the Humans, yes. But the Turians? They have helped to uphold and protect the Council for centuries! To throw it away now..."

Before either of them could continue, a loud popping noise, followed by vibrations through the floor beneath them caused them both to stand, moving towards the door. Suddenly, the door slid open, revealing a trio of Asari commandos, pulled from the Destiny Ascention to help protect the two remaining council members. The lead one spoke, "Councilors, we have to evacuate you to a safer location."

Tevos' eyes went wide, "What?"

"The Citadel has been compromised. The Humans and Turians are turning the entire station into one giant war zone. We have to get you both out of here."

Metellius opened his mouth to speak, when the sounds of gunfire began to echo from the hallway behind the three commandos. With a curse, the three of them spun around, training their guns down the hallway. The lead commando yelled over her shoulder, "Get out of here!"

Without another word, Tevos grabbed ahold of Metellius' arm, pulling him towards a hidden escape door on the far side of the room. As the passage slid open, she pulled a pistol from a compartment underneath her desk. Metellius gave her a questioning look, to which she merely replied, "I wasn't always a Matriarch, Metellius."

He just nodded, as the two of them ran through the hidden passage, the entrance sliding closed behind them, hidden behind a wall of consoles.

* * *

><p>Tela Vasir let out a grimace as she fired her assault rifle, putting a trio of rounds into a Human's head, his stolen pistol clattering onto the ground. She continued walking through the hallways, her gun at the ready, as she muttered to herself. "...'Protect the Council, Vasir. They still have influence that could be useful in the coming war.' Yeah, sure, Shadow Broker. Giving me a location would have been helpful."<p>

As she rounded another corner, she cursed herself for her inattentiveness, finding herself staring down the barrels of at least four different guns. Looking at the owners, she was surprised to find herself staring at a group of Alliance marines. The lead one, a female with bright red hair, spoke to her, "Identify yourself."

"Tela Vasir, Special Tactics and Reconissance."

The female Human lowered her gun, gesturing for her companions to do the same. "Another Spectre? Good. I'm Commander Shepard."

Vasir narrowed her eyes slightly, "You're the one the Council just recently made a Spectre, correct?"

Nodding, Shepard replied, "Yes, I am. We were on our way to try to rescue the Council. Have you seen them?"

"No, I haven't. I've been trying to find them myself." After a moment's thought, she brought up her omni-tool. "Here, sync your comm. line with mine. We'll keep in touch. If we can get them to your ship, we should be able to get them off the Citadel."

The Commander nodded, "Good plan. Watch your back out here. We've been shot at by one too many jumpy civilians carrying guns."

Vasir rolled her eyes, "I know how that feels."

With that, the two groups went their separate ways, with Vasir smiling to herself at her new-found luck.

* * *

><p>Sha'ira winced as yet another explosion sounded out from within the Presidium, a glance out the door of the Consort's chambers revealing a rather unpleasant view of smoke rising into the large anti-chamber of the Presidium ring. With a sigh, she turned back, stepping back within the nearly empty foyer of her abode, a room which merely hours before been filled with clients, all wishing to spend time with her. She stopped, however, as one of the numerous Asari she employed stepped up to her. "Sha'ira, how are we going to get out of here? With all of the fighting, I don't think we'll be safe, even to just get to your ship."<p>

Sha'ira placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Selayna, take comfort. Those causing harm to others, do not seek harm to us. Their anger will fade, as will their numbers, in due time. Until then, we shall remain here, where it is safe."

The younger Asari nodded, her gaze drifting down, "Yes, Consort. Forgive me."

Sha'ira could only smile. "Young one, have you contacted your mother? I know that Erinya would be most pleased to know that you are safe."

Selayna's gaze rose to the Consort, "Yes, I have. But she says that she has not heard from my sister, Enalya, and she fears that something may have happened to her."

Sha'ira opened her mouth to respond, when the sound of heavy footfalls reached her ears, and she immediately turned towards the barricade that had hastily been erected over the open doorway. She could tell from the sounds that it was soldiers outside her door, and her heart rate spiked in fear, seeing many of her aides cowering in corners, terrified. Her fear, however, turned almost immediately into joy at the sound of the voice, calling out, "Sha'ira? Are you here?"

She ran to the barricade, her smile as visible as her joy, "Septimus!"

The Turian gave her a toothy grin from the opposite side of the barricade, an assault rifle held loosely in his hands, a squad of Turian soldiers in a defensive formation behind him. "I had to know for sure that you were safe."

Sha'ira, with the aid of two other Asari, pulled the barricade open enough for her to pass through, reaching out and grasping Septimus in a hug, her body shaking with relief. "Thank you, so much."

After a brief moment of comfort, the retired Turian general pulled away, "Sha'ira, how many do you have with you?"

"Half a dozen aides. There were more, but they felt it better to leave when they still could."

Nodding, the Turian responded, "We have a ship we can get all of you out on. It's not much, but it's a ticket out of this war zone."

Gathering her acolytes together, Sha'ira had them all gather what few belongings they had, moving out past the barricade. She noted a few of the Turians shift uncomfortably as the two Human women stepped out among the Asari. "Septimus, have you seen or heard anything of Spectre Shepard?"

The Turian grimaced, his mandibles quivering. "No, I haven't. I'm not even sure if she's still on the station. I hope for her sake she isn't. As of now, the fighting has been kept on the station, but that won't hold forever. Eventually the ships outside will start firing at each other. And while I am grateful to the Spectre for her aid in our... dispute... I do not know how long it will be before she and I are forced to become enemies by our own peoples."

Sha'ira just nodded, "I understand."

Septimus gestured to his squad, before turning to the Consort, "This way!"

* * *

><p>As the Black Pearl moved through space, the ship's pitch-black hull blending in with the backdrop all around it, Nick found himself sitting in front of a terminal in his quarters, listening to the report being displayed on it with a sickening feeling in his gut.<p>

"...Is Citadel News... Emily Wong... the entire station... violence... unable to get help... fighting in the wards... am holed up... not sure how much longer... *gunfire* ...they're coming!... No, please, don't-" A single shot rang out, and the sound of a body hitting the floor could be heard before the screen flickered out of existence. Nick swore as he slammed his hand down on the keyboard, deactivating the console.

"EDI, how long until we reach Omega?"

The AI appeared over her terminal, "_Approximately ten minutes._"

"Good. The Illusive Man did send us intel that Mordin Solus is actually there, correct?"

"_Yes, he did. Professor Solus recently opened his medical clinic in a lower section of the station._"

Nodding, Nick stood up, moving down into the lower part of the room. "Thank's, EDI. Have Garrus and Ian prep for the ground team." With that, he quickly stripped down, changing into his armor.

As he finished, he glanced down, considering for a moment, before deciding on wearing a Death Mask instead of his usual Archon Visor. With a hiss, the helmet sealed itself into place, locking his armor's internal atmosphere within the suit. Walking up the stairs, he slowed as the door to the room opened, revealing Liara standing there. Her face showed her worry quite clearly. "You will be careful, won't you?"

Nodding, he took his helmet back off, giving her a smile. "Of course I'll be careful. I always am."

"That's what worries me."

Laughing, Nick wrapped his arms around her, giving her a quick kiss, before stepping away, moving into the elevator. "Don't worry, Liara. I'll be back in no time."

Stepping out of the elevator a couple minutes later, Nick turned and entered the Armory, finding himself marveling at the large selection of guns arrayed within it. Looking closer at a number of them, he noticed the same insignia on all of them. Looking up, he turned to the other occupant within the Armory, "Hey Brendan, why do all of these have the same blue circle insignia that the guns we got from Hudson did? The one with the two vertical dots in the middle?"

Brendan turned from the assault rifle he was cleaning, "Don't ask me. I sure didn't get any memos about it." Noticing Nick's armor, he continued, "You getting ready to go out on Omega?"

Nick nodded, perusing the guns on display, "Yeah. I'm taking Ian and Garrus out for this one. Figured it'd be a great team-building exercise for the two of them." He laughed, elliciting a chuckle from Brendan. "In all seriousness, I know Garrus will be dependable in combat, and I do want the two of them to get past their differences. I know they're doing alright at it so far, but with how quickly the galaxy is going to hell in a hand-basket, I think it wouldn't hurt to help things along a little."

"No problems here, man. Just make sure you don't forget about the rest of us on later ground missions."

With a smirk, Nick stepped over to Brendan, giving him a fist-pound, "You got it."

* * *

><p>Stepping out of the airlock, Nick was especially grateful he had chosen the Death Mask, hearing the gagging noises coming from Ian. "Fuck me, I've smelled public toilets nicer than this!"<p>

Garrus nodded, his amusement obvious, even through his own grimacing at the smell, "That would sum it up. I've heard plenty about this place, but I never figured it would smell _this_ bad."

"Focus, guys. We need to get Mordin and get out. Let's just focus on that."

Ian rolled his eyes, "Easy for you to say, sealed up in your armor. You can't smell this shit hole."

Shaking his head, Nick brought up his omni-tool. "EDI, do you have the directions we need to get to Mordin's clinic?"

The AI spoke through his helmet as an image appeared over his arm. "_This is the route that will take you to his clinic the quickest. A word of caution; it would appear that the Blue Suns have stepped up their patrols in that area, and seem to be interrogating individuals at random._"

"Thank's EDI." Turning, He spoke to Ian and Garrus, "Did you two get that?" They nodded.

"Do you think they'll be a problem for us?"

Garrus' mandibles shifted slightly, "More than likely, Ian. With what's been going on in Citadel Space, they're probably feeling a bit bolder than usual."

Nick waved the two of them onward, "It doesn't matter. Either they get in our way, or they don't. Our only concern is getting out of here with Mordin Solus."

As the three of them walked through the various hallways, maneuvering around debris and people, Ian stepped up next to Nick, keeping his voice low. "So, how exactly were you going to convince Mordin to come with us? We aren't exactly on some suicide mission to stop the collectors like in the game."

Nick shrugged, "If nothing else, I'll offer him the chance to study my blood and genetic code. Being a Human/Prothean hybrid ought to give him enough incentive, paired with his innate curiosity, to get him to come along easily."

"And if that doesn't work?"

Nick slowed, his mind processing the question. "We'll cross that bridge when it comes along."

It took the group the better part of half an hour to finally reach Mordin's clinic, the Blue Suns patrols having ignored the group as they walked through the halls. Stepping up to the entrance, Nick noticed the 'receptionist' standing there, assault rifle in hand, along with a trio of LOKI mechs. The three of them passed by with a nod to him, moving into the main part of the clinic. Moving through the central lobby, where only a pair of Batarians sat, they moved into the back room, where a rather fast-paced voice could be heard, rattling off scientific mumbo-jumbo.

As soon as they stepped into the back room, the voice stopped, and Nick found himself staring at a thin, lanky Salarian, with one missing horn, standing with a woman dressed in medical garb, standing over a Batarian woman, lying on a bed, holding a piece of gauze against her arm.

The salarian, Mordin, spoke, "Who are you? Not patients, too well armed, no visible injuries present. Blue Suns again? No, armor personalized, no insignia present. Freelancers? Likely, though motives unknown." Mordin noticed the two behind him. "Humans and Turians working together as freelancers? Curious, with latest developments. Would hint at-"

Nick held up his hand, "Relax, Professor. If you'd like to know who we are, all you had to do was ask." With that, he reached up, and took the helmet off his head, wincing at the rancid smell that raced into his nostrils. Taking the helmet off, he noticed the widening of the Salarian's eyes at his appearance.

"Orange eyes, silver hair, must be Human/Prothean Hybrid. But you come to me; why? Risk of genetic defects, could possibly be seeking reversal, yes, _yes_!"

Nick held up both hands, trying to keep from getting a headache at the doctor's rapid speech. "Whoa, slow down! We're doing some recruiting for some combat-able personnel. You're one of the ones we're looking for. As for our mission... well, all I'll tell you is that it has to do with saving all life in the galaxy."

Mordin quirked an eyebrow ridge at him. "Referring to Reaper theory, yes? Have heard of it, didn't think too much of it. No evidence, little concern of mine."

Stepping forward, Nick jabbed a finger towards the professor, "They're real, Mordin. I know it, I've seen them before." With a sigh, he stepped back, "Look, regardless of if you believe me or not, will you come with us?"

The Salarian stared at him for a few moments, before asking, "What motivation do I have to go with you?"

"How about the chance to be the first to study my blood and genetic structure?"

Both Ian and Garrus would swear to having seen the professor begin to practically salivate at the offer. "Y-you would let me study your DNA?" He immediately took on a suspicious look. "Why? What do you stand to gain?"

Shrugging, he replied, "How about some insight about what happened to me when the Prothean Beacon altered my genetic structure, what kinds of diseases I should worry about, that sort of thing. That, and I figure if I offer you something good enough, you'll actually just walk out of here with us, and not send us on some stupid kind of 'fetching' task. I don't really have time to screw around with that kind of crap."

Mordin tapped his chin in thought, before narrowing his gaze on Nick. "What exactly would I stand to gain from this, hmm? Exclusive rights for future publications regarding your genetic structure, perhaps? Unlimited access to your physiology, your DNA, everything?"

Nick grimaced at the thought of the Salarian poking and prodding him with 'experimental theories,' but responded, albeit reluctantly, "Alright. If that's what it takes, then... sure."

Ian shuffled a little closer to him, whispering, "Nick, are you sure that's a good idea?"

Nick whispered back, "I don't have much choice, Ian. We're going to need his help, either with my DNA, or for when we steal the Genophage cure from Saren's research facility."

The Salarian continued to work on his Omni-tool, but unbeknownst to Nick and Ian, paused momentarily, having heard what Nick had said. However, his hesitation only lasted a moment, and Mordin finished administering aid to the Batarian woman on the table. "What would become of this clinic?"

"Well, you already set up the place with security, and I'm assuming a decent supply of medical supplies to last for some time. Why not let your assistant handle things?"

The woman with Mordin nodded, "If you left us with a little bit of cash, we could keep this place going for quite a while."

Hearing that, Nick stared at Mordin, his gaze questioning. The Salarian looked between the small group and his assistant, before letting out a reluctant sigh. "Fine. I will come with you. Go ahead to your ship; just send me the coordinates, and I will be along shortly."

Nodding, Nick gestured to Ian and Garrus, and the three of them turned, walking out of the clinic, Nick sliding his helmet back onto his head before stepping out the door. The return trip turned out to be as uneventful as the trip in, with most people giving them a wide berth, and the Blue Suns ignoring them. Walking out of the lower sections, they entered the large cavernous room, Afterlife visible from where they were standing, when a Batarian flanked by a pair of Turians stopped in front of them, blocking their path.

"Aria wants to know who it is who comes flying to her station in an unknown ship, passing through without paying her her fair dues."

Nick quietly stifled a sigh, before turning his head towards the Batarian, the Death Mask looking rather imposing in the dim lighting of Omega. "No one she needs to worry about. We were on our way out, if you were wondering."

The Batarian didn't seem impressed. "No way; you speak to Aria before you leave, or you _don't_ leave. Afterlife. Now."

Nick let out another sigh as the trio walked away from them, leaving them to stand there and talk. Ian groaned. "Great; now we get noticed by a woman who enjoys flaying people alive with her mind. Or her lackeys."

Garrus shrugged, "The guy did say she just wanted to talk."

Nick would have shot the Turian a skeptical look, but it would have been lost beneath the helmet. "Garrus, once she finds out who and what I am, I may not make it off the station, period." Glancing over his shoulder, he shrugged, "Look, lets just go in there, scope the place out a bit, and I'll go pay her a nice little visit."

With that, he turned and walked towards Afterlife, the other two following him. Stepping up to the doors, another Batarian standing at the top of the stairs waved them through. "Go on in; Aria's expecting you." Nick almost laughed at the audible protesting coming from the rather long line of people trying to enter Afterlife.

Stepping through the hallway, the trio quickly made it into the main section of Afterlife, the smells of sweat, booze and sex assaulting their senses as the doors slid open. After a moment's decision, Nick decided to ditch the helmet. Rather than take it off, and not have anywhere to put it, he activated a control on the helmet, causing it to split down the middle, the helmet retracting in numerous segments, until the entire thing had disappeared into the collar of his armor.

Ian immediately was at his side, "You've heard of subtlety, right? Because showing everyone in Afterlife what you are _might_ not be the smartest idea we've ever had."

Without turning to look at him, he responded, "I'm throwing my chips onto the table. Now it's Aria's move. You two go scout out the bar. I'm going to get a booth."

Before Ian could respond, Nick stepped away, and began to slowly walk around the perimeter of the room, his eyes watching the patrons and the booths on either side of him. After about the fifth booth, he came across one just as the occupants moved away, and sat down at it, making himself comfortable. He simply sat there for a few minutes, glaring at any passerbys who would stop and stare for too long. A single glimpse at his eyes was usually enough to send anyone practically running, anyways.

Nick was ready to look for Ian and Garrus to wave them over, when a quiet, sensual voice sounded in his ear. "My, my, you are a unique one, my friend. I've been looking for you."

His heart-rate spiked at the sound of the voice, his blood chilling in his veins as a name sprang to his mind, paired with the voice from his memory, a whisper on his lips; "Morinth..."

* * *

><p>AN: Uh oh.


	22. Chapter 22 The Last Queen

A/N: Well, I'm finally back with another chapter. This quarter's been a bit crazier than in the past. But I perservere! (Of course, buying and playing Dead Island didn't affect my time at all... not in the slightest... *cough*)

Herr Wozzeck: Just you wait. You haven't seen crazy yet.

M-Angel 05: I wouldn't kill off Anderson. I do actually like him too.

Danyael Prince: Don't worry; you haven't seen the end of Emily Wong.

Liege Lord: Of course; now that the timeline's changed, ME2 characters are totally fair game for recruitment. The only ME3 tech that I've knowingly introduced is the Atlas mech, inside the storage/hangar bay in the Pearl.

ArchAngelGundam: Yeah, damn-near everything's gone to hell. That's what a lot of people don't like to attempt to cover; how just one small action can turn an entire timeline on its head.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 22

Captain Anderson let out a groan as consciousness slowly began to return. He tried to lift himself up, only to find his hands bound down, unable to move. Opening his eyes, he realized he was strapped down to a chair of some kind. His eyes roamed the room, taking note of the grey walls around him, a pair of terminals on a far wall. A familiar voice drew his attention, making his blood freeze in his veins.

"Well, well; the great human captain _finally _awakens. I was beginning to think my soldiers had caused some permanent damage to your skull."

Anderson growled as Saren stepped out from behind him, his eyes seemingly glowing a blue color, matching the cybernetics of his arm. "What do you want with me, Saren? What's this all about?"

The Turian smirked at him, "I wanted to make sure you would be able to watch the show, Captain. Thanks to that mutant hybrid, Sovereign will be able to take this galaxy for the Reapers with much less resistance than it originally planned for."

The captain's brow furrowed in confusion. "Reapers?"

Saren nodded, "Yes, Anderson. The Reapers. The very beings that brought about the end of the Protheans over fifty thousand years ago. Their return is imminent. I have brought you here to watch; I would bring you with me, but I wouldn't want Sovereign's will to destroy your mind before you were able to witness the beginning of the end. So enjoy the show, captain. I'll be sure to check up on you from time to time."

With that, the Turian turned, walking back out of Anderson's line of view, just as a number of holographic images began to appear in front of him, showing him multiple scenes, one of which showing the Citadel.

* * *

><p>"Morinth," Nick whispered. Thankfully, the Asari didn't seem to hear him over the pounding music, resounding through the dance club. She moved from behind him, gracefully sliding herself into the seat directly across from Nick. She smiled playfully at him, her eyes seeming to bore holes straight through his head.<p>

"You are certainly an interesting person, aren't you? Quite the catch, for anyone lucky enough to find you." She extended her hand across the table, "I'm Morinth. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

With only a sight hesitation, Nick reciprocated the gesture, reaching out and taking her hand to shake. As she gripped his hand, he could swear to feel some kind of presence brush against his mind, hazing his thoughts ever so slightly. "What brings you to my table, Morinth?"

She batted her eyes at him, her playful smile turning coy. "I just thought I would introduce myself; find out what kind of man you are... see where things go from there..." She let out a quiet laugh, the sound seeming to resound through his head as she continued to flirt with him.

* * *

><p>Ian let out a sigh as he glanced around the dance club, doing his best not to stare at the Asari dancers showing of their "assets" to the whole crowd. Garrus simply grunted in amusement. "If you had asked me yesterday when I woke up where I would be this afternoon, this isn't what I would have replied with."<p>

He tossed the Turian a glance, "Really? I never would have guessed. How much longer do you think we should wait until we head over to where Nick's at?"

Garrus just shook his head, "I don't know. We could always just wave him down and... wait, who is that Asari in the booth with him?"

Ian looked over towards Nick, before the color began to drain from his face. He immediately brought up his omni-tool, speaking into it, "Oh, _shit, _EDI, get the entire ground team in here, a few Geth if they aren't ready, or whatever. We have one serious problem; Morinth has Nick cornered in Afterlife."

"_Affirmative, Ian. They will be there shortly._"

Garrus shot him a confused look, "Who is Morinth, and why do we need the entire ground team to get rid of her?"

Ian looked over to the Turian, his face serious, "She's an Ardat-yakshi, Garrus." The Turian just gave him a blank look. "Look, there's some science behind this, but I'll cut to the chase; Morinth is a problem because if she melds with him, it'll overpower his nervous system and fry it. The more people she does that to, the more powerful she becomes. Which, obviously-"

"Would be bad." Garrus finished.

"Exactly. We need the whole ground team because on top of all that she's an incredibly powerful biotic; oh, and she's a crazy bitch." Ian shuddered at the thought.

Garrus's brow-plates furrowed, "Then why isn't this something more widely known?"

The human just shrugged, "Oh, I dunno; maybe because the Asari didn't want everyone to know that some of their species can absorb people _with their minds?_"

The two of them continued to stand next to the bar, occasionally glancing over to ensure that Nick was, in fact, still in the booth with Morinth. Ian began to shift uncomfortably as Morinth continued to move around the round booth seat, closer and closer to Nick. Finally, after what seemed like forever, most of the ground crew from the Pearl, minus Legion, made it into the dance club.

Thane was the first to speak, "What is the situation?"

Ian subtly gestured over to Nick's booth, "Asari killer with Nick; extremely powerful, extremely dangerous. She wants to meld with him."

Brendan spoke up, "What, we can't let him have some fun?"

"Well, considering the meld will kill him, that's probably not the best idea."

Liara's eyes went wide, "Ian, y-you aren't referring to-"

He just nodded, cutting her off, "Yeah, it's an Ardat-yakshi."

"Goddess, no..."

Art caught everyone's attention, "Guys, they're getting up!"

* * *

><p>Nick had to mentally shake himself from his stupor, trying his best to resist Morinth's influence as she continued to talk to him. He could feel the comforting presense of Vis'da'an in the back of his mind, strengthening his will and resolve, keeping him from falling over the edge. Dimly, he was aware of Morinth shifting out of the booth, speaking to him. "Why don't you come with me, Nick? I'm sure I can show you the time of your life."<p>

She winked at him, slowly turning and shaking her hips, her body acting as a lure against his mind. Nick almost fell prey right then and there, until his eyes drifted towards the bar in the center of the club, meeting the blue eyes of Liara, fear evident in them. With an almost painful snap, his focus came back to him, his mind breaking the influence of the killer. He stood up, speaking, "You know, that would normally sound like a great idea; problem is, I know who and what you are, _Mirala_."

The Ardat-yakshi froze in her steps, her spine arching, straightening in absolute shock at the sound of the name. She began to glow biotically, turning to face him, but Nick had already primed his biotics, expecting some kind of action from her. He flung his hand outward, a biotic push hitting her directly in the chest, throwing her across the bar. Patrons screamed as they ran for cover, retreating from the fight.

Over the sound of commotion, Nick could make out the sounds of weapons priming, and saw a number of Aria's guards moving towards him. He spun towards her loft, calling out at the top of his lungs, "You've got yourself an Ardat-Yakshi down here Aria! I don't know about you, but I don't feel like ending up dead today!"

The Asari, standing on her loft, casually waved her hand, the motion causing her guards to lower their weapons and stand back, but they watched, ready to fire at the first motion from their boss. A furious scream brought his attention back around, and he spun, just in time to see a blue blur smash into him, throwing him across the room into an empty booth, the table collapsing beneath him.

He attempted to rise, only to be slammed back into the ground. He groaned, as he looked up, only to find himself staring at Morinth's biotically sheathed form. With a flick of her wrist, Nick's body was lifted up, moving face to face with the Asari, a snarl evident on her face. "Nice try, you little prick. But you're still mine-"

A Sniper shot permeated the club, echoing off the walls, causing Morinth's biotics to flare. Before another shot could be fired, Nick found himself spun around, between the sniper and the Ardat-yakshi. He could hear a curse from behind him, but that quickly faded to the back of his mind, as he could see Morinth preparing to meld with him. Without thinking, he started laughing, causing Morinth to halt momentarily in confusion, staring at him. Before she could recover, he took the initiative, his eyes flaring a bright orange, yelling out, "Embrace destiny!"

* * *

><p>Morinth's head spun, and she tried to figure out what was going on, when she suddenly found herself lying on the ground. Sitting up, she found herself in a vast grey expanse, seeming to stretch on forever. She slowly stood up, trying to figure out how she had gotten there. The sound of laughter caused her to spin around, her hands rising into a defensive position, only to find the hybrid standing there, his arms folded, smirking. She snapped out, "What the hell did you do to me? Where am I?"<p>

He gestured to himself, "Me? I didn't do anything. As for where you are... well, you're in the space between our minds, Mirala." Seeing the look of shock and disbelief on her face, he continued, "What, you didn't think I was going to willingly let you into my head, did you? I didn't want my brain fried, thank you very much. Not to mention, I didn't come alone."

Her eyes grew wide as she saw what looked to be multiple copies of the hybrid step out from behind the first, each one with a different eye color. The biggest shock, however, came from the last individual, a being humanoid in shape, but having features distinguishing it from any species she had ever seen before. "W-what is that?"

"_I am Vis'da'an Dra'ksen, High Templar and master of the Qui'zal Archives. I am the last remaining Prothean in this galaxy._"

Morinth's eyes grew wider, a predatory grin gracing her features. "All the better; more minds to add to my collection."

Before Nick could respond, Morinth spread out her arms, and multiple forms began to emanate from her body, pouring out from her like waves from the ocean. Each form began to solidify, multiple individuals taking shape. Each shape turned into ghostly images of people of different species, each one connected to Morinth by a kind of transparent chain of sorts. Once they stopped moving, Nick couldn't help but begin to worry as he realized he couldn't actually count the number of entities in front of him.

Seeing the confusion on his face, Morinth grinned even wider. "Meet every person I've ever had the pleasure of melding with, Nick. Get to know them well; you'll be joining them soon enough."

Nick shot the woman a look of shock. "Are you telling me that these are their... souls?"

The Asari just gave him a casual shrug. "I couldn't tell you that for sure, even if I honestly cared. Once you're one of them, maybe you can tell me!"

As soon as she had finished speaking, Morinth sped towards him, energy surrounding her form. Nick hastily threw up a mental barrier around himself, only just managing to deflect the energy being thrown at him by the enraged Asari. He tried to lash out with his own burst of energy, only to watch her effortlessly deflect it away from her, the energy dissipating away. Nick again found himself on the defensive, throwing up barriers against each blast of energy.

* * *

><p>"Embrace destiny!"<p>

The words rang through Liara's ears, her heart nearly stopping. She watched from mere feet away, feeling as though there were lightyears between herself and Nick. She knew of the Ardat-yakshi, and she knew that no one had ever survived a meld with one. Liara felt as though her world were collapsing in front of her; as though Nick were abandoning her to a lonely existence by sacrificing himself in such a way, regardless the reason. What happened next, however, caught her completely off guard.

Both Nick and the Ardat-yakshi were lifted off the ground by some kind of unseen force, a blue-green translucent sphere of energy forming around the two of them. Unknown to her, every single person in Afterlife watched the scene unfold, all previous fear forgotten in the face of the unique encounter in front of them, the pounding of Afterlife's music resounding through everything.

Liara heard gasping as a single point of light left Nick's body, a deep blue color, moving between the two floating bodies. Though she couldn't be sure, she would swear to it being Nick's essense of being, his very soul. Another point of light entered, this one coming from the Asari. It's color was seemingly drained, as though it had no essense. Following was a number of other lights coming from Nick, each one a different color, though one stood out brighter than the others, being orange in color. What scared Liara was what happened next; dozens of more lights came from the Asari, each one pale in comparison to the first entities, but present nonetheless. They became so numerous that she quickly gave up trying to count them all.

Nothing more happened for a few moments, until the Ardat-yakshi's light entity shot out a burst of energy, stopping just short of Nick's entity, held back by his own energy. The ensuing duel between the two entities lit up Afterlife with each pulse of energy, flashes of light overpowering the club's usual lighting.

* * *

><p>Nick could feel the energy being sapped from his body, his strength beginning to wane. Each burst of energy sent at him by Morinth seemed to only get stronger, and none of his attacks seemed to connect with her, each one deflected almost effortlessly. He could feel Vis'da'an feeding him her own energy that she could, but to Nick, it didn't seem like it would be enough.<p>

"Come now, Nick; you must be tiring of this. Why not just give in? Defeat is inevitable, and it isn't so bad... after you die, anyways..."

Nick shook his head, holding himself upright and tall. "I will never give up."

Morinth laughed, a sadistic grin on her face. "So be it."

To Nick's horror, she began to collect as much energy as she could, pulling it from every soul chained to her into her own form. Glancing around, a thought popped into his head, and he turned to his multiple-personality subconsciousness. "Give me everything you've got; I've got a stupid idea."

Quickly gathering his own energy together, Nick began shooting bursts of energy out, but not towards Morinth. Each wave of energy passed over and through the numerous souls connected to the Ardat-yakshi, making many of them disappear by the dozen, simply gone from their presence. With each group of vaporized souls, Morinth let out pained cries, her gathered energy faltering under the sudden loss. Renewed by the possible chance of survival, Nick began to shoot more waves of energy out as fast as he could manage, taking out hundreds of the trapped souls. Interestingly, some of the souls seemed to be strong enough to resist being eradicated, but the binding holding them to Morinth would be destroyed, freeing them from her grasp, regardless.

Though he was able to destroy many of them, the Asari managed to regain enough presence of self to throw a wave of energy at him, halting him long enough to renew her assault. Her rage fueled her attacks, all strategy gone, simply throwing wave upon wave of energy at him, trying to break down his barriers. He held against her attacks, able to maintain his barriers against the weaker blows. After what felt like a small eternity, she finally stopped, her strength sapped. The two of them simply glared at each other for a few moments, each one regaining their strength.

In the lull, Nick noticed sounds in the background. Focusing, he could make out what seemed to be some kind of music, but it sounded... off; wrong. The lack of harmony began to eat away at him, like an itch, right in the small space of his back, impossible to reach. He looked around, trying to pinpoint the sound, but it seemed to be coming from all around him. Turning back to Morinth, his eyes widened, as he realized that the dissonant sounds seemed to be coming from her. He unconsciously began to move closer to her, his eyes glued to her form. With each step, her form seemed to become blurry, shifting into what he could only describe as a sort of visual sound, a shifting, erratic form of colors, the likes of which he had never before seen.

He could tell that Morinth was attempting to move away from him, but he reached out, grasping what he thought was her wrist, his confusion brought about by the fact that her entire form had shifted in his eye to the chaotic storm of dissonant notes and dark colors. Without thinking, he began to sing, quiet at first, but soon becoming louder, his voice acting of its own accord as to the notes and rhythm emanating from him. The more he sang, he noticed, the more the colors of Morinth's form began to shift and change.

He could sense an extreme sense of pain and agony coming from her, but he couldn't stop himself; even if he could, he wasn't sure he would want to, knowing what Morinth had intended on doing to him. Dimly, he was aware that each of his personalities were also singing, matching their voices and their harmonies to his own. Before he finished singing, Morinth's light seemed to wink out of existence, simply vanishing from in front of him. Stepping back, he shook himself out of his stupor, trying to figure out what had just happened.

Turning around, he saw that each one of the personalities of his subconscious and Vis'da'an were looking around, seemingly just as confused as he was. Before he could voice his concern, a whispering sound from behind him caught his attention. He immediately spun around, only to find himself confronted with over a hundred of the souls left behind from Morinth, all looking at him, expectantly; hungrily.

"Oh shit."

* * *

><p>Liara nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the Ardat-yakshi let out a blood-curdling scream, the Asari's body arcing in extreme pain. Watching, she could see Nick's entity practically touching the other entity, some kind of energy passing between them, until the Ardat-yakshi's entity simply vanished, snuffed out of existence. Her body immediately fell from the sphere, collapsing onto the ground in a heap. Looking closer, Liara could see blood seeping from her eyes and mouth, clearly dead.<p>

Looking back up, she expected the sphere to collapse, letting Nick out and back to her. However, this didn't seem to be the case; the sphere held it's coherency, and as she watched, she could see Nick's entity slowly inch closer to his body, the remaining dim entities seemingly following him, moving closer to him. Her breath caught in her throat as the cloud of entities seemed to jump forward, attempting to swarm him.

She watched Nick hold some of them off, before a few of them seemed to bypass him, passing into his body. Through with feeling helpless, Liara raised her hands, biotics primed.

* * *

><p>Nick let out a grunt of exertion as he tried to maintain his barriers, holding back a tide of souls, all trying to get into his body. He could hear the ones closest to him, he could hear their voices, some groaning, some crying, some screaming... He quickly shook his head, trying to focus as best he could.<p>

Despite his best effort, he could feel a few of the strongest manage to break through, and enter into his mind. He continued to hold the barrier, trying to not let any more in. To his surprise, one of the ones that had made it into his mind helped reinforce the barrier, strengthening it more than he could have managed on his own.

The next thing he knew, he was jerked back into his body, which happened to be flying through the air for some inexplicable reason. With a thud, he impacted against the floor, bouncing once, before sliding to a stop. He let out a groan, feeling the massive headache forming directly behind his eyes. His hands went to his temples, pressing in as hard as he dared, trying to relieve some of the pressure building in his skull.

Suddenly, his hands were pulled away from his head, and he found himself staring into Liara's eyes again, filled with worry and relief, simultaneously. It was the last thing he remembered before fading into unconsciousness.

Liara turned, calling out, "Ian, Brendan, he's unconscious!"

The rest of the squad quickly came running up, surrounding the two of them on the ground. Thane knelt down next to the two of them, gently prying Liara's hands away from Nick, allowing the Drell to examine him. After a few tense moments, he spoke, "I believe he will be fine, physically. As to his mental state, I cannot say, not without a medical examination, one which delicate equipment is required for."

Garrus interjected, "Would the equipment on the Black Pearl work?"

Art let out a slight moan, "Are we seriously still calling it that?" Everyone ignored him.

Nodding, Thane replied, "I believe so."

Another feminine voice spoke from behind the group, a harsh edge to its tone, "No one is going anywhere until I get some answers." They all spun around, only to find that Aria had come down, and was standing between them and the exit, along with most of her guards. She raised a brow-ridge. "Well? What the hell was that just now? Why, if that was an Ardat-yakshi, is she dead and he still alive?"

Everyone in the group looked to each other for a moment, before Ian spoke up, "Well... we don't actually know. That'd be a question you'd have to ask him," he said, pointing at Nick, "But until he wakes up, we're all stuck with a bunch of questions and no answers."

Liara picked up where Ian left off, "If we can get him to our ship, we can give him the medical attention he needs. The sooner he gets it, the sooner he can wake... hopefully."

Aria looked at the entire group, examining each one of them, one at a time. Finally, she spoke, "Either one of you stays as insurance to guarantee you won't leave, or I'm coming with you, with my personal guard. Either way, I'm getting my answers."

Liara could hear Garrus and Ian bickering as she tried to think.

"...Are you kidding, Ian? There's no way we can let her on the ship!"

"Then are you gonna stay here with Aria?"

"What? Spirits, no!"

Liara stood up, leaving Nick to Thane, as she mustered up as much confidence as she could. "We won't leave anyone here with you. If you are so desperate to ask questions, then you can come with us. But we won't allow any more than three guards to accompany you on _our_ ship."

Aria stared directly into Liara's eyes, probing, but T'soni would not give the older Asari anything. After a moment, she smirked, "Lead the way, then." Turning, she called out, "Anto, Grizz, come with me. The rest of you, go back to your posts, and keep an eye on the place while I'm gone."

With that, Garrus and Thane both reached down, putting their arms around Nick's shoulders, dragging him with them, his armored boots clanking on the occasional bump in the floor panels. Before leaving, Liara turned to Ian and Brendan, "Could you two bring the Ardat-yakshi's body? It may prove useful for study."

The two humans glanced at each other, before shrugging, and hefting up the body to carry. The group then moved out as a whole, with Aria and her two guards following them. Walking past the awe-struck crowd, Aria waved at a Turian standing a ways off, who immediately came jogging over. "Yeah, Aria?"

"Captain Gavorn, come with us. You're my third guard." While Preitor Gavorn raised a brow-ridge, he kept his mouth shut, falling directly behind Aria, his sniper rifle in hand. Glancing out the nearby window, Aria couldn't help but be impressed at the sleek ship, painted pitch black. "Quite the ship you've got." She smirked as she saw a couple of the people in the group glance back at her nervously, but none of them responded to the verbal jab.

Finally, the group stepped into the airlock, the decontamination process taking only a few moments. As the doors slid open, the group immediately allowed Garrus and Thane to carry Nick towards the med-bay, while the rest of them scattered about the ship to their own places, leaving Liara standing there. "If you'll follow me, I will take you to the crew deck, where you can wait until Nick wakes up."

As the group walked, Aria admired the interior of the ship. However, her admiration was cut short, as soon as she noticed the Geth, working some of the various controls. She stopped, her eyes narrowing at Liara. "Why are there _Geth_ here?"

Hesitating slightly, Liara turned and looked over her shoulder, "That is a question best answered by Nick."

The rest of the walk went by in a rather awkward silence, as did the short ride in the elevator. Occasionally, Aria would glance at Liara, her eyes seeming to study every detail of her face. Stepping out of the elevator, Aria finally spoke what was on her mind, "I know you... T'soni, right?"

Liara turned towards her, "That is correct. How do you know?"

The older Asari smirked as she walked past her, "I had some dealings with your mother in the past. Thought you looked familiar."

Liara spun around to respond, but Aria had already walked around the elevator shaft, into the mess hall. She followed, only to see the queen of Omega sitting on the table, her three guards making themselves comfortable. Anto leaned up against the wall, while both Gavorn and Grizz sat at the table, enjoying a moment to sit and relax. Liara stood there, somewhat awkwardly, occasionally glancing over at the med-bay door. Aria noticed her behavior, and full-out grinned when she made the connection.

"If you're so concerned about your boy-toy, how about you go in and check on him, hm?"

She laughed as Liara shot her a hostile glare, before turning and walking right into the med-bay. Stepping in, she found Both Legion and Mordin working on various pieces of equipment, both around Nick, and along the walls. "Professor Solus, is Nick going to be all right?"

The Salarian waved a hand at her, "Please, just Mordin, or Professor. Nicholas will be fine. Brain waves abnormal, but results of such peculiarity to be determined once he awakens." Mordin moved away from the equipment, walking over to a bed holding Morinth's body. "However, most intrigued by this 'Ardat-yakshi' as Geth explained to me; the damage done to her physiology is inconsistent to anything I have ever before seen."

Liara furrowed her brow in confusion, "What do you mean, Professor?"

Mordin scrunched his nose up slightly, "Extreme hemmoraging in brain, as well as massive scarring, trauma induced. Cause could have been-"

A loud alarm began to blare, as EDI's hologram materialized next to the door to the med-bay. "_Alert, dreadnaught-class vessel detected entering the system via relay. Silhouette paints it as a Reaper."_

Liara moved towards the AI's terminal. "EDI, where is it going?"

"_It would seem the Reaper is setting a course; projecting... it is heading towards Omega._"

The color began to drain from her face, hearing those words. Moving to leave, she spoke, "Get us out of here, EDI. If the Reaper is coming here, then we are not safe here anymore!"

"_Affirmative._"

Stepping out of the med-bay, Liara immediately turned towards the small knot of people around the mess table. "We are leaving Omega, now. It would appear a Reaper has it in its sights."

Aria stood up immediately, glaring at the younger Asari. "What exactly is a Reaper?"

Before Liara could try to explain, EDI's terminal activated, and brought up a holographic representation of Sovereign, superimposed next to the image of Omega; the fact that the Reaper was clearly large enough to cause some damage made Aria pause. Liara gestured to the hologram, "That is a Reaper; vanguard to the Reaper fleet, which wiped out the Protheans and every sentient race before them. If the Reaper is coming to Omega, it is either coming to indoctrinate and enslave it's population, or to destroy it completely. That is why we are leaving."

Aria reached out, grabbing Liara's arm, "Are you telling me that we can't stop that thing out there?"

Liara pulled her arm away, glaring at the other woman, "Not alone, no."

Aria began to massage her temples, slowly pacing through the room. After a moment, she stopped, and with a panicked look on her face, raised her omni-tool. A few moments later, a small screen appeared, showing a young Asari, tiredly rubbing her eyes. "Yes, mother? Wha-"

She immediately cut the other off, "Liselle, get off Omega; get out of there, _now._ There's something big coming, and it may be here to destroy Omega."

The younger Asari's eyes grew wide, "W-what are you saying, mother?"

"Get out of Omega! Anywhere else! Where are you?"

Liselle glanced around, seemingly trying to get her bearings. "I'm... I'm aboard your hidden freighter. I know you didn't want me staying here, but-"

Aria's relief was almost palpable, "Listen, I don't care; just fire it up, and get out of there!"

The image on the omni-tool began to shake, the young girl obviously walking while she talked, "But where am I supposed to go, mother?"

Aria turned towards Liara, a near-begging look on her face; a look of questioning and fear that could only come from a mother. Liara answered, "I can have our pilot send her jump coordinates."

Turning back to her omni-tool, she spoke, "Did you hear that, Liselle? I'm on a ship right now, and the pilot will send you jump coordinates."

"Ok; the ship's starting up. I'll be out of here in just a few minutes."

Liara turned towards EDI's terminal while Aria continued to speak to her daughter, "EDI, have we undocked yet?"

"_Yes, Liara. We undocked approximately twenty three seconds ago, and are currently on our way away from the station, with our stealth systems activated._"

"Good. Monitor the freighter with Aria's daughter aboard. Make sure she makes it out safely."

"_I will try, but with the number of ships currently attempting to leave Omega, it will be difficult._"

To prove the point, EDI brought up a representation of Omega, and highlighted the ships that were leaving Omega; the image almost looked like a hive of bugs that had been shaken or attacked, by the sheer number of dots indicating ships.

"Do what you can, EDI."

With that, Liara stepped over, and attempted to console the now panicked mother, her three guards shifting uncomfortably on their feet, unsure of what to do.

* * *

><p>Ian jumped as he heard the ship-wide alarm and announcement. Flying out of his chair, he ran out of the cargo bay, nearly colliding with Art and Brendan, running out of engineering. Without a word, the three of them entered the elevator, the car quickly taking them to the CIC. Stepping out, they came face-to-face with over two dozen Geth platforms, moving about, working the various systems to fly the ship. Running towards the front of the ship, Ian called out, "EDI, what's the plan?"<p>

Stepping into the cockpit, the three of them came to a stop, as EDI replied, "_I am currently moving the ship away from Omega. Scans indicate the Reaper is Sovereign, and it has both barriers and weapons at full power. It will be within range of Omega in twenty eight seconds._"

Art spoke what they were all thinking, "Why the hell is Sovereign moving to take out Omega? Why would it bother? I mean, it has a Geth fleet to do its bidding, and once it takes the Citadel, it won't even matter."

Brendan responded, "Yeah, but the Citadel is in chaos now. There is no longer any central governing body. Even if Humanity and the Turian race were both wiped out, that would leave the rest of the races in the galaxy to oppose the Reapers. Aside from the Citadel, what's the biggest base-station that could become centralized? Omega." He glanced out the window at the station, before continuing, "Sure, it'd be hard as hell, but Omega does constitute a large chunk of strength and organization... for a crime-ridden underworld, anyways."

"_Sovereign is entering weapons' range._"

They all fell silent, as the ship spun around, in time to watch the Reaper open fire.

* * *

><p>Aria paced back and forth, before finally turning towards Liara, "Is there anywhere I can watch?"<p>

Nodding, the Asari led the four of them into the Starboard Observation Deck, the metal panel sliding open, revealing a view of Omega. All of them watched as bright beams of light began to strike the surface of the space station, bringing about puffs of fire and debris with each impact. Liara noticed that there were many ships that also stopped to watch, many of them seeing their homes being torn apart right in front of them.

As a particularly large piece of the station began to drift away, it's lights flickering a few times, then dying off, Aria began to speak, "You know, I always knew that I wouldn't be able to be the ruler of Omega forever; Patriarch was living proof of that. I just... I never thought I would be the _last _ruler of Omega."

After a few minutes, all of the lights across Omega went out, each of the long, spindly arms containing the mass effect field generators slowly powering down, their protective fields no longer shielding the station from drifting debris within the asteroid belt, fire belching out from parts of the remains of the station. An unnoticed tear slowly found its way down Aria T'loak's face.

* * *

><p>Shepard grimaced as she fired her gun again, taking out one of the countless civilian Turians who had thought it a good idea to get in her way, toting what was likely a stolen gun. She gestured, "Kaidan, move up."<p>

"Aye, Commander."

The squad continued through the halls, checking each corner for possible ambushes or attack groups, of which there had been plenty of both. Passing another group of dead bodies, Shepard let out a sigh, "Alright people, we've been searching long enough. Let's turn and head back-"

The Spectre's comm. unit sqealed a blast of static, before a familiar voice rang through, "_Commander Shepard, this is Vasir; I found the Council; repeat, I found the Council! I'm taking them to the coordinates you provided. We will be there in approximately ten minutes._"

Shepard activated her own comm. "This is Shepard; I read you Vasir. We'll meet you there."

The squad immediately turned around, heading back the way they had come, as it was the way with the most recently deceased, and the least chance of impeeding enemies. It only took the squad fifteen minutes to return to where the Normandy was docked, the area around it quite empty, thanks to the marines surrounding the docking area.

As the squad moved to step into the Normandy, Ashley stopped, looking out into the nebula. "Uh, Skipper... is it just me, or are our ships moving further inside the Citadel?"

* * *

><p>Captain Jonathan Hunt let out a pained sigh, adjusting his pipe while reading the reports from the evacuees of the Citadel, warily eyeing the tactical display, showing a number of Turian ships sitting directly opposite of his small battle group, both sides keeping a cease-fire to allow for the evac of civilians. It had been temporary, and it would likely not last for very long. He had already received a number of contingency plans, from almost everyone along the chain of command, for when the shit hit the fan. Some of them made him want to retire on the spot for their sheer stupidity.<p>

Looking out the viewport of the bridge, he thought back to the strange communiqué he had recieved from Cerberus. He wasn't sure if it was accurate, or if it would even work. But considering the odds against his much smaller battle group, he was willing to give it a try, should things go south.

Moments later, the ensign at the helm called out, "Sir, we have incoming Turian ships! They're on an intercept course!"

Straightening out his back, he asked, "How many ships, ensign?"

At first, there was no response. After a few moments, however, he managed to squeak out a reply. "I-it... uh... Sir, there's over thirty ships out there."

The pipe fell from his mouth, forgotten.

"Order... order all ships to move within the Citadel. We're initiating the backup contingency."

"Sir?"

"Just do it, ensign."

"Yes sir."

Captain Hunt watched, as his eight ships all moved within the arms of the Citadel, while his cruiser held it's position. The Turian fleet moved into range, immediately opening a communication line.

"_This is the Turian Dreadnaught Za'tenya, to Alliance vessels; power down, and prepare to be boarded. This is your only warning._"

Ignoring the call, Hunt spoke out, "Helm, rotate the ship towards the Citadel, full burn. Bring the mass accelerator up to full power."

"Aye, sir."

Jonathan watched the tactical display, as the ship slowly turned towards the Citadel, it's guns coming powering up. As the ship neared the appropriate angle, the engines powered up, attempting to propel the ship as fast as they could manage.

"Sir, Turian ships are preparing to fire!"

The captain wasn't worried, however. "Steady... steady... fire!"

With a single blast, Captain Hunt's cruiser fired it's mass accelerator round, directly at the Citadel control tower. The round impacted against the tower, the force causing the metal to literally shatter into near microscopic pieces. It continued down the entire length of the tower, the entire structure seeming to desintegrate entirely. The shell finally made it out the other side, continuing on past the back of the Citadel, continuing on it's merry way.

As the debris continued to lazily drift about, the ward arms of the Citadel suddenly lurched, before their motion smoothed out, inexorably sliding closed, to seal off the entire station from further damage.

* * *

><p>Shepard blanched as the world around her shook, Ashley's screaming reaching her ears over the sound of rending metal. "Holy shit! That was our own ship! They fired on the Citadel!"<p>

"Stow it, Ash. Everyone, on the ship, now!"

The marines piled into the ship. As soon as the airlock closed behind them, Shepard opened her omni-tool, "Joker, get this ship moving, now!"

"_Way ahead of you, commander. I've already got the ship in reverse._"

Shepard began to tap her foot impatiently as the decontamination cycle ran, moving much too slow for her liking. Once finished, she practically ran out the door, moving into the cockpit behind Joker, watching as the ship flew forward. As she watched, her eyes widened in realization.

"They shot the tower to get the arms to close. They're sealing themselves off inside the Citadel!"

Joker swore under his breath. "That's one way to crash a party, I guess."

"Joker, those arms are closing uncomfortably fast..."

The pilot merely shook his head, "Don't worry, my baby can get us outta here in time."

The Commander, however, had her reservations, watching the arms close around them. The closer they got to the edges of the arms, the faster they seemed to be closing. "Joker..."

"We'll make it."

"Joker!"

"We'll make it!"

Shepard instinctively closed her eyes, her hands clutching the pilot's seat in a death grip, awaiting her imminent demise, smashed up against the closed arms of the Citadel. A slight jolt, followed by an incredibly short grinding noise, forced her eyes open again, only to marvel at the sight of stars in front of her. Her face took on a wide grin. "We made it!"

Her grin, however, quickly faded, as she realized they were now staring down the barrels of over forty five pissed Turian warships.

* * *

><p>AN: uh... Heh... This could be bad...


	23. Chapter 23 Shifting Tides

A/N: here you go, another chapter for you to enjoy. You can thank my sister, who came to stay with her husband and toddler for the weekend, and I needed an excuse to hibernate in my room, doing "homework." Also, if any of you feel so inclined, why not head over to , and add in a page for Into the Fire for me, would you? I'm sure you, the readers, would be able to spot every trope in here, whether intentional or otherwise.

Liege Lord: yeah, Nick survived, but he wasn't totally unscathed. You'll see why as time progresses.

Herr Wozzeck: not just the control panel, but the entire contol tower; the brains of the entire Citadel. That, and Omega wasn't taken over by Sovereign, it was obliterated. Destroyed. Etc.

Danyael Prince: of course I have more surprises. I ALWAYS have more surprises.

End Gamer: I laughed pretty hard at that. Party in Nick's head, indeed.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire<p>

Chapter 23

Commander Shepard glanced at the tactical display nervously, seeing the rather large Turian fleet surrounding her ship. All of the ships were slowly maneuvering around the Normandy, boxing it in between their guns and the impenetrable walls of the Citadel. Looking closely, she could see a number of smaller craft exiting their ships, likely boarding craft filled with soldiers.

Before Shepard could give Joker any orders, someone stepped up beside her. Glancing over revealed it to be the Asari Spectre that she had run into earlier. "Commander, let me contact them through the comm. I can probably try to keep them from either capturing or killing off your crew."

It only took the Commander a split second to consider it. "If you think you can, then go ahead."

With a nod, Vasir stepped up further, Joc moving from the co-pilot's seat to allow the Spectre to sit. "This is Spectre Tela Vasir to the Turian fleet, stand down. We have the Council aboard, and wish to take them to a safe location. Please respond."

At first, there was no response, but after a few moments, the multiple boarding craft halted their advance, sitting in space, likely awaiting further orders. A burst of static caused Shepard to jump in surprise, before a flanged voice rang out, "_Vasir?__ What __are__ you __doing __aboard__ a __vessel__ bearing __Alliance __identification?_"

Shepard decided to add in her own bit, "The Normandy is my ship; I'm Commander Shepard, also a Spectre."

"_Ah,__ the __first __Human __Spectre. __Now __I __understand. __I'm __sorry, __Shepard,__ but __your __Spectre __status __doesn't __protect __you __anymore. __So__ long __as __you __are __part __of __the __Alliance, __you're __as __much __our __enemy __as __the __rest __of __the __Alliance. __Vasir, __we__'__ll __allow __you __and __the __Council __to __safely __board __one __of __our __boarding __vessels __once __they __dock-_"

Shepard interrupted the Turian speaking, "Wait just a second; what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"_Spectres __are __supposed __to __disavow__ any __previous __ties __to __any __organization,__ Shepard.__ Both __they, __and __whatever __crew__ serves __them. __Either __you __swear __to __the __Alliance, __or __you __swear __to __the __Council._"

Joker could be heard muttering under his breath, "Would've been nice if someone would have told us that _before_ now."

"So what exactly do you expect me to do?"

"_You __have __two __choices, __Commander.__ Either __you __and __each __of __your __crew __willingly __disavow __any __ties __to __the __Systems__ Alliance __over __a __recording, __which __we __will __be __gracious__ enough __to __send __to __them __for __you, __or __you __forfeit __your __ship, __and __either __surrender __as __prisoners __of __war, __or __die __fighting._"

She just let out a sigh, rubbing her temples with her fingers, feeling a rather large headache beginning to form. "May I have some time to discuss this with my crew?"

At first, there was no response, but moments later, sensors showed the various boarding vessels rotate, and return to their home ships. "_I__ will __give __you __one __hour, __Commander.__ Use __that __time __wisely._"

With that, the comm. link shut down, leaving the Spectre to wish she were anywhere else in the universe than here. Vasir turned to her from the seat, "That went well. What are you going to do, Shepard?"

Glancing out the window, she regarded the Turian fleet for a moment, before looking down at Joker, "Open a ship-wide channel." At his nod, she spoke out, her voice carrying more confidence than she actually felt, "This is your Commander; as of now, we are surrounded by Turian vessels on every side, with no chance of escape or survival in any kind of fight. However, we have been offered a chance at survival. It would seem that the late Ambassador Udina forgot to inform anyone of the small detail that Spectres and their ship crews are required to relinquish any and all ties to previous organizations; or, in our case, the Alliance. We have been given the offer to, publicly, disavow our ties to the Systems Alliance, and formally swear ourselves to the Council we now carry aboard our ship. If we do so, we will be granted amnesty, and allowed to leave without force. Otherwise, we forfeit our lives. We have one hour to give them our answer. I will be meeting with each and every crewman aboard the ship, starting immediately, within the CIC. The senior staff will organize the order of the crew to come to the CIC, and will notify you when your turn comes up. That is all."

Turning away from the cockpit, Joker stopped the Commander, "Uh, Commander... what now?"

She turned back towards him, a weary look on her face. "Pray."

* * *

><p>Nick let out a groan as consciousness returned to him, wincing as the bright lights above him made the pain in his head flare up. Raising a hand up, he shielded his eyes enough to be able to open them, trying to focus them as best he could. After a few moments, he could make out enough details to figure out where he was.<p>

"Ah, you're awake. Good. Was beginning to become concerned."

Raising an eyebrow, Nick turned his head, his eyes coming to rest on the tall Salarian doctor standing next to his bed. "Hello, Mordin."

The doctor smiled, "Memory and cognition seems nominal, no obvious tells of brain damage. Good sign."

At first, Nick wasn't sure what the Professor was referring to, but in a flash, his memories returned, and he flew upright, his eyes wide. "Morinth!"

The Salarian put a hand on his shoulder, "Calm yourself; Ardat-yakshi is dead. You are safe."

Seeing Mordin's reassuring gaze, Nick nodded, his breathing slowing down. "How long have I been out?"

"A few hours. Remarkable recovery, considering circumstances."

Glancing around the med-bay, Nick asked, "Where's Liara?"

The Salarian just smirked, "Just missed her; had stayed with you as long as able. Started becoming weak, had to threaten her with bed rest to get her to go eat. Should return shortly."

Slowly rotating, shifting his legs off the bed, Nick glanced out the window, only to stop dead in his tracks. He spoke, softly, "Mordin... why are there two Turians and a Batarian sitting at the mess table?"

The Professor was quiet for a few moments, long enough for Nick to turn to him, concerned that he wouldn't answer him. "Believe best person to ask is Liara. Could tell you more than myself."

Shaking his head, Nick gingerly lowered himself to the floor, tentatively standing on his own. Satisfied that he wouldn't fall flat onto his face, he glanced down, realizing he was still in his armor. "I take it I didn't get hurt enough to warrant the removal of my armor?"

Mordin nodded, "Correct. No significant physical trauma; was mostly concerned with psychological damage, after contact with Ardat-yakshi. Free to leave, if you wish. Let me know if any lasting effects begin bothering you."

With a nod, Nick walked out of the med-bay, stepping into the mess hall. Hearing his stomach growl, he turned, moving towards the kitchenette, smiling as he saw Liara standing there, preparing herself something to eat. He began to walk towards her, when a sound to his left caught his attention, and he turned to look, just as another Asari stepped out from around the corner, causing him to stop dead in his tracks, his eyes wide.

"...The hell? Aria?"

The two of them both stood stock still, staring at one another. Nick heard Liara gasp, "Nick!"

He heard her move to him, her arms wrapping around his body, as he stood there in shock. Without breaking his gaze, he spoke, "Liara, why is Aria on the ship?"

Aria responded before the other Asari, "Because your robotic squid friend decided to blow some holes through my station." At Nick's confusion, she elaborated, "Your supposed Reaper. It destroyed Omega."

Nick's jaw dropped, "D-destroyed it?"

She nodded, her face seemingly etched with a permanent scowl, "Yeah, destroyed it. Made it as dead as the rest of that asteroid belt. There's nothing left there but dust and echoes."

Silence permeated the room for what felt like an eternity, before a beep at EDI's terminal caught all of their attention. "_Nicholas, __I__ believe __there __is __something__ you __should __see._"

A moment later, an image appeared over the holoterminal, showing the face of Commander Shepard. The image immediately began to speak. "My name is Commander Shepard; first human Spectre, and commanding officer aboard the SSV Normandy. A little over an hour ago, a Systems Alliance ship fired on the Citadel, destroying the control tower and causing the arms to close, trapping countless thousands of innocent people within its impenetrable shell. Such an act goes against everything the Alliance is supposed to stand for. I was chosen as the best and brightest of Humanity to serve the Council. I had felt that I could serve both the Alliance and the Council, without conflict. Recent actions have proven otherwise. As of now, I, as well as my crew, formally secede from the System Alliance, and swear ourselves completely to the Council. We will not take direct action in the coming war, but will uphold and defend the will of the Council to the best of our abilities."

With that, the recording cut out, leaving everyone in the room speechless. Once he regained his senses, Nick pried Liara's arms off of him. She looked at him, questioningly, "Where are you going?"

He spoke as he walked towards the elevator. "I have a call to make."

A few minutes later, Nick found himself standing within a rising hologram, the room around him quickly replaced with a new image of a dark room, the chambers of the Illusive Man. The individual in question was sitting in his usual spot, cigarette and alcohol in each hand. "Hello, Nicholas. EDI informed me of your recent encounter on Omega. Good to see you came through that relatively unscathed."

Nick, however, was not in the mood for small talk, "Have you heard about what happened at the Citadel? The control tower, destroyed? Who in their right mind within the Alliance would order such a thing?"

The Illusive Man held Nick's gaze, calmly taking a sip from his crystal glass. "Yes, I did hear about that. How... unfortunate, an accident like that."

Nick's eyes narrowed, "Accident? What the hell are... Wait... _You_ had that ship fire on the tower, didn't you?" Receiving no answer, he pressed further, "Why? What could you possibly gain from smashing the control tower-"

Interrupting, the Illusive Man's voice took on a harder edge, "Things aren't progressing the way they're supposed to, Nick. You said it yourself this timeline is spiraling out of control, down the proverbial rabbit hole of insanity. What I did was buy us _time_. The one commodity we most desperately need, in order to stand any chance against the Reapers. The destruction of Omega only proves that the Reapers aren't sitting around, waiting to come up with a plan B."

"What about the tens of thousands of people trapped on the Citadel?"

With a drag from his cigarette, he merely shrugged, "Casualties of war, Nicholas. Tragic, but completely necessary."

Nick's brow furrowed in confusion, "Necessary? How the fuck are so many deaths _necessary?_"

"Because with the control tower gone, the Citadel relay can't be activated!" Seeing the look of shock on Nick's face, he calmed down from his outburst, then continued, "That control tower was the heart and brain of the Citadel; with it destroyed, it goes into a sort of backup mode. The keepers will be able to eventually rebuild the tower, but that will take time. Months, possibly even years. Those Alliance ships trapped inside the Citadel will give the station the materials needed to rebuild it, letting the Reapers think they can afford to wait for it to be fixed. They'll sit, comfortably, wherever it is they're hiding, while they wait for it to finish rebuilding. That gives us _time_."

Nick gave the Illusive Man an incredulous look, "You mean you trapped Alliance ships inside the Citadel to be used as fodder?"

He waved his hand, unconcerned, "The crews will likely be unharmed. At any rate, the plan is still in motion, and I will continue to keep you apprised of any new developments that come my way. Was that all?" Nick's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. "Well then, until next time."

With that, the transmission cut out, leaving Nick standing there, more than a little bit confused and upset.

* * *

><p>As the door slid closed to the briefing room, Nick did his best not to grimace, seeing both Mordin and Aria joining the rest of them. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to speak.<p>

"Ok, time to play a little catch-up. Aria, Mordin, something you two need to know that everyone else here already knows; Ian, Art, Brendan, and myself are all from another universe, or dimension, one where all of this universe doesn't actually exist, except as a videogame."

Mordin quirked a brow-ridge, while Aria started laughing.

Nick continued, "Mordin, you worked on the modified version of the Genophage. The Krogan were adapting to it, and birth levels were rising. All research-"

"Pointed to it being the only option, yes... fascinating..."

Aria glanced between the Salarian and Nick. "So you've got proof for him; what about me, hm? Something mind-blowing to convince me?"

Raising and eyebrow, Nick shrugged, "Not really. You weren't a major character, so you weren't given much of a backstory. Just portrayed as a stereotypical crime overlord. Oh, you have a daughter, but you hid her presence to keep any of your enemies from finding her."

She waved her hand, "Your girlfriend probably told you that, since we're meeting up with Liselle."

Nick, now confused, turned towards the only other Asari in the room, "Wait, what? We're meeting her daughter?"

Liara nodded, "Yes, Nick. We managed to warn her before Omega was destroyed."

"Huh. Interesting. Oh, Wrex Urdnot is with Commander Shepard; I'm sure you'd like to see him again."

Aria narrowed her eyes at him, "He told you he knew me?"

Shaking his head, he continued, "Nope. Regardless, there's some bigger news; the Illusive Man informed me that he had a group of Alliance ships fire a mass accelerator round straight through the Citadel's control tower, causing the arms to seal the station off from anyone and everyone. He claims that it will keep the Citadel relay from opening."

Art shuffled around in his seat, "What about all the people still inside the Citadel, Nick?"

Looking down, he responded, "They're trapped. If they can figure out some way to survive until the Keepers can rebuild the tower, then they should be ok. Otherwise..."

After a moment of silence, Aria snorted, "Otherwise they're fucked." Seeing the number of glares shot her way, she raised a brow-ridge, "What? It's the truth."

Brendan leaned forward, "Nick, we can't just leave them all trapped in there; is there anything we can do to get them out?"

Garrus spoke up from beside him, "No, there isn't. The Citadel is designed to be impenetrable. If it's sealed from the inside, then there is no way to get them out."

Miranda took the initiative to speak, "If the Illusive Man believes that it was the only viable solution, then he was probably correct."

Nick gave the Cerberus operative a critical look. "No offense Miss Lawson, but we four know of many of the major 'accidents' Cerberus has had with its numerous operations. We know just how your organization tends to deal with others who get in your way. If it weren't for the Reapers, the odds are good we'd be going after Cerberus. As it stands, we need all the help we can get, and unfortunately a shadow organization is the only reliable aid for us right now. We are watching Cerberus as much as you are watching us. If too many lines are crossed, you may find this ship will not be a safe haven for you anymore."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm warning you, Miss Lawson. I will not sacrifice my own humanity for the sake of saving humanity, regardless the reasoning."

The Cerberus operative bristled, but didn't say anything else, opting to keep quiet, considering the present company. Tali shuffled around in her seat. "So... what's next?"

A slight smile came to Nick's face, "That's the real question, isn't it. Does anyone have any objections to heading for Noveria?"

Mordin spoke up, "What is the purpose of going to Noveria?"

Nick hesitated, not really sure how to tactfully respond to the former STG member. Garrus dryly commented for him, "His brilliant plan is to go release a captive Rachni queen they apparently have there."

Both Mordin and Aria's eyes widened in suprise. Aria managed to find her voice before the Salarian, "You aren't serious? The Rachni? I was there the first time around; I'm not just going to stand around and watch a second time!"

With a raised eyebrow, Nick dryly responded, "Well, option B is a quick trip to Virmire, where Saren's secret base is located, holding a cure for the Genophage."

Mordin's eyes widened even further, something Nick hadn't thought possible. "Impossible! No cure could be developed that quickly; considering modified Genophage-"

"Mordin, he has a cure. The Reapers gave it to him. Those are, unfortunately, our two choices. I for one would rather deal with the Rachni queen, as rescuing her would gain us some favor in her eyes, whereas the Krogan would just be an uncontrollable tide of warfare, against whoever would get in their way." Looking around the room, he continued, "If there were other allies that would possibly be of any help, I would be seeking them. Fact is, there isn't. So unless one of you is hiding a fleet larger than god in your back pocket, we're headed for Noveria."

"But-"

"That's all I have to say. If you have somewhere else to be, then be there. Art, Brendan, Ian, could you three stay? You can stay too, Liara, if you'd like."

With that, the others made their way out of the room, a few quiet murmurs barely audible, but unintelligible to Nick, until the door slid closed, leaving the remaining five people sitting in the room. Art looked towards him, speaking, "So, Nick, what's up?"

Holding his hands out, palms up, he replied, "We can't keep having 'group meetings' like this. It's getting to a point where we're almost grinding to a halt, just in discussions and arguments."

Brendan shrugged, "Yeah, we know that part. But what exactly are we supposed to do about it?"

Nick glanced away, a nervous feeling settling in his gut at what he was about to say. "The Black Pearl needs a captain; otherwise, we'll descend into chaotic anarchy, and tear each other apart."

Ian narrowed his eyes slightly, "Are you suggesting we make _you_ the captain of the ship?"

Lifting his gaze to meet Ian's, he nodded, "Yes, I am."

Art mock-raised his hand, "Ok, just out of personal curiosity, what qualifies you to be the ship's captain over any of us?"

"Truthfully, not a whole lot. But in my own defense, the three of you _have_ been following my lead, more or less since we left Earth."

Brendan raised an eyebrow, "What else were we supposed to do?"

Nick began to rub his eyes with his finger-tips, feeling a pressure headache building, "Ok, let me put it a different way; do any of you three really want to be in charge? To be the one who takes all the blame if something goes wrong? The one who may have to make a split-second decision that could mean life or death for anyone and/or everyone on this ship?"

The group fell silent at that, each one mulling it over. After a few moments, Ian asked, "And you'd take the glory if everything works out?"

Nick gave Ian an incredulous look, "Glory? _What_ glory? We of all people should know this is a purely thankless job; after all, look at the Mass Effect game. Shepard saved the damn galaxy, twice, and he or she turns out to be treated as little more than a traitor and a criminal. This job doesn't have glory; only survivors."

Art nodded, albeit somewhat reluctantly, "He does have a point."

Brendan began to nod slowly, "Yeah... And whoever's in charge has to do the paperwork, all the logistics stuff."

Ian began to smirk, "And the captain is the one that gets yelled at by others above his pay-grade."

Nick rolled his eyes, "Thanks guys, so nice of you to think of the positive side of things."

Ian replied, "Well, it is positive... for us."

As a group, they began to laugh, smiles on everyone's faces. They all started to stand, moving to exit, when EDI's terminal flashed to life. "_Nicholas, __Mordin __would __like __to __speak__ to __you __in __the __med-bay._"

Nick's brow furrowed, "What about?"

"_He __said __he __wanted __to __see __you __for __both __the __Ardat-yakshi,__ as __well __as __something __to __do __with __your __genetics. __He __would __not __elaborate __on__ what __he __meant._"

Nodding, he replied, "Thank you, EDI; I'll head there now."

"_Logging __you __out._"

Nick strolled out of the room, and making his way towards the elevator with the rest of the group. No one said anything, as the elevator car quickly dropped to the third deck, the doors sliding open in front of them. He stepped out, only to feel Liara's hand slip into his, the Asari smiling at him as they walked towards the med-bay.

As soon as the doors opened, the Salarian looked up from his terminal, speaking, "Ah, good. Wanted to speak to you. Made a discovery while analyzing cerebral damage to Ardat-yakshi, fascinating in itself. However, with assistance from EDI, found that scarring pattern had indeed been seen before."

Nick's brow furrowed in confusion, and he turned towards the AI's pedistal, "Uh, EDI, could you translate that for me?"

The AI seemed to hesitate, before responding, "_The __scarring __left __on __Morinth's __brain__ matched __a __similar __scarring__ found__ in __my __original __universe, __Nicholas. __It __would __seem__ that __Morinth's __mind __had __suffered __from __indoctrination._"

Nick's eyes widened, "When in the hell was she exposed to a Reaper?"

Mordin cleared his throat, before speaking, "That is the thing; Morinth was not exposed to Reaper." At his questioning look, the Salarian continued, "This scarring recent, very recent. Caused almost immediately before death, if not the cause itself."

Nick just stared at the professor, uncomprehending. EDI spoke up, "_Nicholas,__ you __were __somehow __the __cause __of __the __indoctrination __in __her __brain._"

Liara gasped, as Nick's face took on a dazed look, the man reaching out and steadying himself on the bed next to him, trying not to fall. "H-how could that be? I-I'm just a... a..."

Mordin finished for him, "A Human/Prothean hybrid, with exceptional biotics, and multiple strange brainwave anomalies."

Liara away from the Salarian, expecting to hear Nick ask what he meant. However, he simply sat himself down on the bed, a distant look to his face. Turning back, she asked, "What do you mean by strange brainwave anomailes, Professor?"

Mordin just shrugged, "Unsure. Seems to be multiple brainwaves; almost as if multiple minds trapped within one brain. Very strange." He turned, and began working on one of the terminals as he continued, "If true, then could likely explain how process indoctrination works. Could attempt to create counter-measure against it."

Nick turned to him, his eyes hardened, "A counter-measure? To indoctrination? How?"

The Salarian responded without looking up, "Simple. If theory is correct, your mind can indoctrinate other minds through direct contact; to develop a counter-measure would prevent you from accidentally indoctrinating others. Would also double as potential aid against Reapers."

Nick let out an aggravated growl, standing up, "Mordin, cut it with the 'possible' and 'likely.' Give me something definitive. Will it work, or won't it?"

The Salarian gave him a pointed stare. "Science not perfect, Nicholas. Can't say for sure unless tested."

Liara put her hand on Nick's shoulder, the action causing him to close his eyes, taking a deep breath. She turned back to Mordin, "Thank you; if that's all, we'll be going now."

Before they could turn away, he held out a hand, "Wait, one more thing. Was examining Nicholas's blood sample, then stepped away. Noticed something interesting when I returned; cells had not died yet. Very unusual. Timed them, then, watched. Cells lived almost ten times longer than normal human cells, almost average to Asari cellular structure."

Nick, now rubbing his head, the blood throbbing with each beat of his heart, shooting pain through his skull, snapped out, "Get to the point, Mordin. What are you saying?"

With a hint of a smile, the Salarian answered, "Believe you will live to age of eight to nine hundred years, Nicholas."

Both he and Liara's eyes widened, their gaze glued to the smirking professor, a questioning gaze on both their faces. Nick tried to stutter out a response, "C-c-come again?"

"You will likely live between eight and nine centuries."

Liara finally managed to find her voice, "How is that possible?"

The Salarian brought up his omni-tool, displaying what appeared to be a piece of Nick's cellular structure, the quad-strand helix portrayed above it. "Would seem that Protheans had long life-cycles, longer than Asari or Krogan. Hybridization must have partially passed on to Nicholas during transfer. Incredible discovery. Also, convenient, considering circumstances."

Liara's brow-ridge furrowed, "What do you mean, professor?"

Mordin's smile grew, "Nick could live nearly as long as you, Miss T'soni. Assuming survival of Reapers, could grow old together."

He opened his mouth to say more, but he hesitated, seeing the look that Liara and Nick passed between each other. He quietly took a step back, turning to his terminal, smiling to himself, as the two of them put their arms around each other, Nick holding Liara as silent tears began to slide down her face, a smile etched in her features.

* * *

><p>Anto let out a sigh, leaning back in his seat, two of his four eyes drifting closed. As he spoke, the slightly gravelly sound of his voice gave his species away to anyone within earshot, "I gotta say, this is one hell of a ship. Even if it is run by a bunch of Geth."<p>

Gavorn let out a snort, "Yeah, and I'm sure their hospitality will be unending, followed by ludicrous amounts of cash and beautiful women."

Grizz laughed, his mandibles twitching in amusement, "It would be a nice change of pace. Not to mention a turn in our luck."

Anto shot Grizz a derisitive look, "Luck? What luck? Omega got vaporized by some kind of dreadnaught we've never seen before, and we're stuck on a ship full of Geth, misfits, and some kind of Human freak-show."

Gavorn shook his head at the Batarian's argument, "We're alive, Anto. That's more than can be said for the vast majority of people who didn't get off that rock in time. Be grateful for that, if nothing else. Besides, so long as Aria's still alive and paying, we still have a job; keep her safe."

Grizz shook his head, "Did you see that one Human woman in the leather? Damn if I haven't seen a female with curves like that in my entire life. Strangest thing I've seen in a while."

Anto grimaced, his razor teeth showing, "Bah, too many squishy lumps in odd places. Humans and Asari, both."

Both Grizz and Gavorn began to laugh, much to the Batarian's chagrin. A voice snapped out, "What are you laughing at?"

All three of them shot up in a sort of quasi-attention. "Uh, nothing, Aria; nothing at all."

The Asari just shook her head, "Whatever. Let's go; they have an open cargo hold they're letting us use to stay in." Seeing the looks on their faces, she let out a sigh, "It's not Omega, I know. Regardless, it's a safe place to sleep; enjoy it for what it is. Once we're off this ship, there may not be another safe haven for a very long time."

Anto cleared his throat, "Are we, uh, going to be leaving?"

Aria just shrugged as she walked, "Anything's possible, Anto. Anything at all; don't forget it, either."

* * *

><p>Emily Wong let out a groan, her chest feeling as though it were on fire. She opened her eyes, but realized that she was in a relatively dark room to begin with. She could hear people moaning nearby, and could make out the sounds of gunfire off in the distance. She tried to sit up, only to feel a flare of pain in her chest.<p>

"Oh, you're awake. Please, don't try to sit up, it will only aggravate the pain."

Emily looked up towards the voice, only to find herself staring at a polarized visor, the shape betraying a feminine form beneath the exosuit. She tried to rasp out, "W-who-"

'Shhh. You took a concussion round straight to the chest, Miss Wong. You've been unconscious for a number of hours, and are likely dehydrated. Your voice should hurt less after a drink of water."

The Quarian girl then helped her raise her head enough to take a tentative sip of water. She coughed a bit, the water feeling almost foreign on the way down her throat. After a few more sips, she managed to speak more clearly. "Who are you?"

The girl seemed surprised, by the widening of her eyes, much more visible in the low lighting of the room. "Me? My name is Lia'vael nar Ulnay. I only arrived here a few days ago. I didn't know the Citadel was near collapse."

Emily furrowed her brow in confusion. "Co-collapse?"

Lia nodded, "Yes; all the fighting between the Humans and the Turians has brought the Citadel to its knees. One of the Alliance warships shot their main gun straight through the control tower. It's been completely vaporized, sealing the rest of us in here, with no way to open the ward arms."

Her eyes shot open, and she forced herself to sit up, trying her best to ignore the lancing pain in her chest. "Trapped? Inside the Citadel?"

A male voice, with a noticable flanged sound, called out, "Who's making all the racket?"

Lia seemed to shrink away, moving away from Emily, as a set of heavy footfalls came nearer. Emily looked up, afraid, as a Turian loomed over her form.

"Well, I'll be. Miss Emily Wong. Good to see my men didn't cause any undue damage to you with that concussion round. I must apologize for that, they were a little overzealous in trying to subdue any civilians for detainment."

"D-detainment?"

The Turian let out a sigh, before crouching down, almost eye to eye with her. "Yes, Miss Wong, detainment. The Systems Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy are at war with one another. Except thanks to those Alliance warships out there, the war won't matter for us for quite some time, if ever. We're trapped inside the Citadel, with no way to get out. Most of the Keepers seem to have moved towards the Presidium, likely to try to rebuild the tower; at least, that's what we think. The rest seem to be continuing on with their duties."

Emily tried not to sound scared, but was only partially successful. "W-what's going to happen to me?"

The male just laughed lightly, placing what was likely meant as a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. We don't want to hurt you; quite honestly, we don't really want to hurt anyone. Other than a few incidents with rebellious soldiers, hardly anyone has died. Now, rest up, and don't worry; you're safe here."

As the Turian stood up, moving away, she looked up at him, "What's your name?"

He turned back, a smirk on his face, "You can call me General Septimus; now rest."

As he walked away, Lia'vael came back over, a damp towel in hand, pressing it against her forehead. "Sorry about that; I had to get you a cloth for your head; you seem to be somewhat warm."

Emily nodded in appreciation, sitting and digesting what the general had told her. After a minute, she looked at the Quarian girl, now sitting next to her. "What incidents was he referring to? About people dying?"

Lia began to shift uncomfortably, fidgeting. "A pair of Turian soldiers happened to find that other mean reporter, Khalisah Al-Jilani, trapped in a room. One of the soldiers claimed his brother ended up killed in a mugging because of some smear article she put out a couple of years ago. The two of them... well..."

She fell silent, prompting Emily to give her a nudge in the shoulder. "What did they do?"

"W-well... they... did things... to her... and she had an allergic reaction to what they did to her... she suffocated... her throat had swollen shut..."

The two women fell into an extremely uncomfortable silence, as Emily laid back, holding the damp cloth against her head.

* * *

><p>Commander Shepard let out a pained sigh as she stepped into her quarters, the door sliding closed behind her. She hadn't made it halfway across the room when her comm. unit beeped, Joker's voice sounding out a moment later. "<em>Commander,<em>_ I've __got __Alliance __Command __on __the __line; __it's __Admiral __Hackett._"

"I'll take the call in here, Joker." She quickly moved towards her desk, bringing up the terminal, just in time for a video feed to link up, portraying the somewhat aged face of Stephen Hackett. She allowed herself a slight smile. "Hello, Admiral."

He nodded to her, "_Shepard._" After a slight pause, he spoke again, "_Do __you __mind __explaining __yourself? __Maybe__ what__ the __motive __behind __that __video __was?_"

She let out another sigh, rubbing her forehead with one hand. "We just barely managed to escape the Citadel's arms as they closed, Admiral. I'm not even going to ask who dropped the ball on that one. Anyways, I found myself trapped by a fleet of over forty Turian warships, with an impenetrable wall at my back. My only choices were to surrender, die, or swear myself fully to the Spectres, which was something I was _supposed_ to do in the first place, apparently."

The Admiral shook his head, "_Be __that __as __it __may, __we've __got __a __war __on__ the __horizon, __Shepard. __While __no __one __will __blame __you __for __doing __what __you __had __to __to __save __the __lives __of __your __crew, __there __are __a __lot __of __brass __already __making __it __known __that __the __Normandy __still __belongs __to __the __Alliance, __as __does __its __crew.__ They __want __their __ship __back._"

Shepard's eyes widened, "Sir, I don't have my own frigate sitting in some warehouse waiting on me; if I give the ship back now, I may as well just roll over and play dead!"

"_As__ I __said, __the __Alliance __is __nearly __at __war; __the __brass __wants __every __ship __they've __got __ready __to __fight. __That __includes __the __Normandy __in __their __books,__ with __or __without __their __Spectre._"

Narrowing her eyes, she asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"_It __means __that __almost __all __of __them __don't __care __that __you've __resigned__ your __commission, __Shepard. __In __fact, __a __few __of__ them__ are __glad;__ it __means __you __have __freedom__ of __movement __that __the __rest __of __Humanity __doesn't. __It __means __you __can __provide __us __Intel __from __behind __enemy __lines __without __repercussion._"

"Then how the hell am I supposed to do that without a ship?"

The Admiral let out a weary sigh, shaking his head, "_I __don't __know, __Shepard. __I'm __afraid __that's __a__ question __you're __going __to __have __to__ answer __on __your __own. __I'll __contact __you__ again __in __a __few __hours __once __I__ know __more. __Hackett __out._"

Shepard dropped her head onto the desk once the link cut out, trying her best to hold herself together. Her body was wracked with a few sobs, before her eyes lit up, her head lifting off the table. With a press of a button, she spoke, "Joker, see if you can contact Nick. We may need his help."

* * *

><p>AN: not much action in this chapter, I know. But it all makes a difference in the long run, and that's what matters. In my opinion, anyways.


	24. Chapter 24 Why Communication Matters

A/N: I must apologize for the delay, everyone. Between exams, homework, the occasional bout of laziness (hey, we all have it from time to time), as well as some good ol' fashioned writers' block, writing this chapter has been a real pain in the ass. I had hoped to get to Noveria this chapter, but alas, it wasn't to be. It would have been far too long for my tastes. But don't think that this chapter is a dull one; no, never a dull moment with Nick and Co.

Also, in the last chapter's author's note, I meant to say "If any of you feel so inclined, why not head over to TVtropes (dot) org and add in a page for Into the Fire for me." Wonderful FF (dot) net decided to nix the TVtropes part.

Herr Wozzeck: Not exactly sure how you mean by the "Aliens" reference, but ok.

WorldStrider: Yes, I have painted the Alliance in a bit of a bad light; however, the Alliance is not perfect. Neither is the Turian Hierarchy. I just haven't gotten around to the Hierarchy yet. Nor have I covered all aspects of _why _the Alliance seems to be as bad as it does. Plus, not everything done by any given soldier/captain/commander/officer reflects the Alliance as whole (IE, the rogue captain firing a mass accelerator round through the Citadel Control Tower). Also, Shepard is not the Council's bitch. However, if she had stayed with the Alliance, then she would be pulled in two completely opposite directions with the Alliance going to war with the Turians. It would have caused far more problems than it would have solved.

Dreaded-DeathX: meh, leave it to you to shoot holes through something I say with those pesky little details. So Krogan can technically live almost indefinitely; other than Wrex and Okeer, how often does that actually happen? As for Aria... well, you'll see, all in good time...

CuHnadian: I'm glad to know my story was good enough to keep you up until 2 a.m. reading. Hope you continue to enjoy it as I write more.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 24

Shepard resisted the urge to let her shoulders sag as the Normandy drew up next to the relay. Joker had been uncharacteristically quiet as he flew, content to watch the controls in front of him. Moving the ship into position, however, he cleared his throat.

"So, uh, commander... what's the plan?"

With a sigh, she responded, "We're meeting up with Nick; apparently he has a ship now, and he's willing to take us aboard."

Joker glanced over his shoulder at the Spectre. "Us?"

Nodding, she continued, "I'm taking the Council and Vasir onto his ship. The Alliance wants the Normandy back."

Joker spun the chair around, his eyes wide. "What? Why?"

"Because they're scared, Joker. The Turians could have obliterated the Alliance during the First Contact War, and they would have, if the Council hadn't intervened. The Alliance wants every advantage they can get; with the Council-regulated fleet levels, the Turians have nearly a three to one advantage, ship to ship. As if that wasn't bad enough, they probably have more advanced technology, due to being charged with the defense of the Citadel. None of that bodes well for the Alliance."

Joker didn't respond until after the Normandy passed through the relay. "What about the Alliance ship that blew a nice, round hole through the shiny Citadel Tower?"

Shepard just shook her head, "Hackett told me the Alliance didn't order that. So either it was a rogue captain, or the order came from outside the chain of command."

The console let out a pinging noise, and Joker's hands began to fly over the controls. "We're receiving a signal, commander."

The pilot nearly jumped as a hand was placed on his shoulder. "I'm not a commander anymore, Joker. I'm just Shepard."

Another voice sounded out from behind the two of them, "You're Spectre Shepard, now. You've earned at least that right." Turning around, she found herself faced with the two remaining members of the council, Tevos and Metellius, with Vasir standing behind them. The Asari councilor gave a hint of a smile, as she spoke, "We were originally suspicious of you, Shepard, when you did not resign your commission from the Alliance. We see now that you were never informed of that information, so the fault lies with others, and not yourself. In our eyes, you have fully earned the right and title of a Spectre."

Shepard let out a sigh, glancing back towards the cockpit, in time to see Joker maneuvering the Normandy next to another, larger ship, though only catching a glimpse of it as it passed by the window. Returning her gaze to the Council, she responded, "For what it's worth, I think it is probably too little, too late, Councilors. With the Citadel in ruins, and two of the four Council races at war with one another, I believe the title is little more than an honorific, with no real power or authority."

Tela stepped out from behind the Council, speaking before they could, "That may be, but it'll still matter with the Turians. They preach enough about rules and honor that they'll respect you as a Spectre, if not anything else. There are too many Turian Spectres for them to just brush off the authority of the Council; they'd be sweeping their own Spectres under the rug right along with you if they tried."

Joker caught Shepard's attention, causing her to turn. "Comma... Er, I mean, Spectre... We're docked now."

She quickly stepped into the Cockpit, activating the shipwide comm. unit. "This is Spectre Shepard speaking; as of this moment, I am relinquishing command of the Normandy to Commander Pressley. I will be leaving with the Council, having resigned from the Alliance. It has been an honor to serve with each and every one of you, and I wish you all luck in your journeys. That is all."

With that, Spectre Shepard stepped away from the cockpit, gently patting Joker on the shoulder as she stepped into the hallway, towards her quarters to gather her belongings.

* * *

><p>Nick let out a sigh as he glanced at the clock next to the galaxy map. He heard Ian speak up from behind him, "How much longer is it gonna take before they're ready to come aboard?"<p>

Turning, he replied, "This _is _the Council we're talking about. They take forever to do anything!"

They shared a laugh, as Brendan spoke up, "You know they're all gonna freak when they see the ship filled to the brim with Geth, right?"

Nodding, Nick couldn't help but smirk, "Yeah, that's kind of the point." At his questioning glance, he continued, "The Council has always had their heads up their asses, especially in regards to whatever doesn't fit their wonderful little rosy-colored view of the galaxy. If they see that organics and AI can actually work together, then maybe we'll have a shot at gaining some headway in making allies against the Reapers."

Brendan nodded for a moment, thinking, before responding, "So... what if they come armed?"

Nick didn't have an answer, but quickly brought up his omni-tool, and began to work on what he hoped was a simple solution.

* * *

><p>Shepard stepped through the CIC, her small crate of personal belongings in hand. She managed to keep herself composed as the entire crew stood there at attention, saluting her as she walked past them all. She quickly made her way through the narrow hallway towards the airlock, coming to a halt in front of Pressley. He quirked an eyebrow at her, "<em>Commander<em> Pressley?"

She smirked, "Consider it a battlefield promotion. She's your ship now, Pressley; take care of her."

He nodded, before saluting her. Without another word, she turned, and moved towards the airlock, only to stop in her tracks as the doors slid open, revealing the two councilors and Vasir, as well as Joker, holding himself up with crutches, standing between Kaidan, Joc and Ashley, all with their own crates. Without waiting for her to ask, Kaidan spoke up, "We're going with you, Shepard."

"But-"

Ashley stopped her from responding, "There's no getting around it, ma'am. Where you go, we go."

Joker smirked, "Yeah, and Hackett sending us those messages 'suggesting' that we go along had _absolutely__ nothing_ to do with it at all."

Ashley made as if to smack the pilot, causing him to flinch away. The whole scene brought a smile to Shepard's face. Shaking her head, she stepped into the airlock. Kaidan spoke as the chamber began to equalize to the opposite ship's internal atmosphere. "The admiral sent us all messages, detailing our new orders as 'Alliance representatives for the Citadel Council and their newest Spectre,' ma'am. We couldn't just refuse orders like that."

She shot the Leiutenant a wry look, "No, I'm sure you couldn't." Turning towards her pilot, she asked, "So, what should we expect of Nick's ship? Does it even hold a candle to the Normandy?"

Joker started to look away, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, you might be in for a bit of a surprise, actually..."

Joc nodded, "It looks a lot like the Normandy... Except bigger."

Shepard furrowed her brow, but the airlock door slid open before she could say anything. Turning, she took a deep breath, before walking through the airlock of the Normandy, into Nick's ship. She let out a gasp as she entered the ship, realizing that it looked almost identical to her own ship, but much brighter, with grey and white coloring. Her amazement faded, however, turning into outright panic and anger once she realized that there _Geth _manning the various stations. Her hands instinctively went to her back, pulling her gun off, priming and arming it in one fluid motion.

With a squeeze of the trigger, the assault rifle began spitting rounds off at a rapid rate, each bullet speeding through the air. Her eyes widened as each round impacted against what seemed to be a large kinetic barrier, which appeared to wrap completely around the airlock, sealing them inside of it. Before she could begin to issue orders to Ashley and Kaidan, a familiar voice sounded out, "Cease fire, Shepard!"

Her eyes narrowed as Nick came into view, a slightly nervous look on his face. "Did you sell us out, Nick? Are you working with Saren now?"

Nick's face contorted in disgust. "I'd never work for that good for nothing worthless bare-faced piece of shit. These aren't the Geth that work for Saren, or the Reaper Sovereign."

The Spectre's eyebrows furrowed, "What are you talking about?"

"There are multiple factions of Geth. Not all of them work for Saren. These Geth are the ones fighting against him."

Councilor Metellius spoke up from the back of the group, his voice easily betraying his nervousness. "That's impossible! The Geth would never fight against their own kind; it's against the very nature of an AI."

Nick raised an eyebrow, "And that's where you're wrong, councilor. Now, if you'd be so kind as to put your guns away, I'll lower the kinetic barrier keeping you out. Otherwise, you can turn around and go back to the Normandy." Seeing their reluctance, he continued, "If it makes you feel any better, Tali has taken to working with them. Not comfortably, but she hasn't shot any of them. So if she can put aside her differences to work with these Geth, than I would hope you'd be able to as well."

Shepard stared at Nick for a few moments, before nodding, putting her assault rifle away. The others quickly followed suit. Satisfied, Nick lowered the kinetic barrier, allowing the group entrance aboard the ship. With a smirk, he tapped on Joker's shoulder, gesturing towards the cockpit. The pilot's eyes widened at the sight of the leather seat, immediately hobbling over, gently lowering himself into the chair. "Comma... Damn, I mean Shepard, they've got leather seats!"

The Spectre couldn't help but smile, seeing her pilot so excited. She turned to Nick, "Nice ship you've got here, Nick. Does she have a name?"

Nodding, he replied, "The Black Pearl. She's designed after the Normandy; designation SR-2, actually. But we can talk more about that later; does the Council need taken anywhere in particular soon? Or would they mind just tagging along for a while?"

Councilor Tevos answered for Shepard, "It would be beneficial to have access to a communications array, to contact our planets' governments. Until communication has been established, and plans have been made, we have no safe haven to go to."

Nodding, he replied, "Good. We just have one more person to pick up, and then we'll be heading for Noveria. I'll brief you on that later. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of space for your normal accomodations, so you'll have to stay in the general quarters at night."

The Asari councilor waved away his concerns. "That will be acceptable. You are, after all, willingly taking us aboard your ship, despite any possible repercussions you may have with our enemies."

Nick nodded, then turned, "Ian, could you take the Councilors and Shepards' squad to the general quarters? Oh, and take Joc down to engineering; I'm sure Art will be glad to see her."

Joc gave Nick a smile, "Thank you, Nick."

Shrugging, he smirked, "It's no problem Joc." He opened his mouth to say more, when his gaze fell upon the final member of the group standing in the back, causing the words to die in his throat. After an awkward moment of silence, he pulled himself together, before speaking, "Spectre Vasir, would you come with me for a few moments? There's a few things I'd like to discuss with you."

Ian turned around as soon as he heard the Spectre's name, his eyes wide, but Nick caught his eye as he walked past, subtly shaking his head. Ian continued on with the group, while Nick led Vasir into the communications room. As they walked, the Asari Spectre couldn't help but shake a rather nervous feeling beginning to build in her gut. Once the door closed, Vasir spoke up, "How do you know me, and why did you want to talk to me alone?"

Nick rounded on her, eyes narrowed, "I think you know why; after all, playing ball for two masters ought to have taught you well in matters of deception."

Tela's blood turned cold, but she kept up the faćade. "What are you talking about? I'm a Council Spectre; I have no other allegiances."

Nick laughed, unnerving her even more. "You are so full of shit. Now, how about you butt out of this and let me speak to your _real _boss; the one who hides in the shadows."

She opened her mouth to reply, but her omni-tool beeped, indicating a call was coming through on it. Nick just smirked as she brought up the device, activating it. Immediately, a deep, resonating voice sounded out, "_What __do __you __want, __hybrid_?"

The smile disappeared from his lips as he spoke, "How about why one of your operatives is aboard my ship?"

"_An__ accident __of __chance, __coincidence, __and__ luck. __Her __assignment __was __to __protect __the__ Council. __Her __presence __is __your __own__ fault, __for__ bringing __the __Council __aboard__ your __vessel._"

Nick let out a sigh, rubbing his temples as he considered the information. "Regardless, I won't be keeping her aboard my ship. I don't need her, or you, trying to glean information from me, my ship, or my allies."

The Shadow Broker didn't respond at first, but when he did, a tone of curiosity could be discerned. "_Why__ is __it __you __seem __adamant __to __deal __with __me, __Nicholas? __We __have __never __had __dealings, __nor __have __you __and __Vasir._"

Nick raised an eyebrow, before speaking, "Well, with the timeline already fucked up beyond repair, I don't see the harm in telling you; you probably already know I'm from another dimension. What you don't know is I have a knowledge of this universe and it's timeline, thanks to a videogame about Commander Shepard, and her fight against the Reapers. In that story, you tried to sell her to the Collectors in a desperate bid to save your own sorry life, even pitting Vasir against her. She would have killed countless civilians in an attempt to do just that, earning her own death at Shepard's hands. Then Shepard would have found your base at Hagalaz, decimating your personal army, and vaporizing you with that wonderful energy conduit sitting above your desk in that cavern you call an office. So saying I have no respect or trust for either of you would not be an understatement."

Vasir stood there, absolutely dumbfounded, while the Broker mulled over the information. Finally, the deep voice resonated out with the response. "_If __the __timeline __has __changed __to __such __an __extreme __measure, __then __you __have __no __basis __any __longer __to __distrust __me __any __longer._"

Nick laughed, much to the Shadow Broker's surprise. "No reason? I beg to differ; the Reapers will be after me, now, knowing I'm a hybrid of a Human and a Prothean. I'll be the target, not Shepard; and you'll just try to betray me and give me to them to try to buy your own salvation."

"_Aren't __you __the __paranoid __one_?"

"It's served me well this long; I'd be remiss to stop being paranoid now, when I have the most reason to be."

"_Perhaps __a __more __convenient __arrangement __can __be __made, __then? __Purely __a __trading __of __information, __when __the __need __arises_?"

Nick couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious at hearing this. "Why are you so set on having some kind of communication with me?"

The Broker paused for a moment, likely gathering his thoughts. "_You __are __an __enigma, __hybrid. __Wherever __you __go, __whatever __you __do, __things __change. __Anything __you __touch __or __influence __becomes__ permanently __altered __from __what __is __supposed __to __be. __I __know __this __because __you __are __not__ the __first __traveler __to __come __to __our __universe._" He paused, letting the information sink in. "_You __see, __I __too__ knew __what__ was __supposed __to __be. __I __have __met __my __share __of __travelers __before, __and__ I __have __seen __countless __other __travelers __who __have __come __and __gone __through __this __dimension. __None __of __them __has __ever __had __even __the __slightest __impact __on __the __timeline. __Not __until __you__ came __along._"

Nick's jaw hung, his eyes wide. "What are you saying?"

"_You__ are __different, __Nicholas. __Different __than __every __other __traveler __who __has __met __this __universe. __Think __about __my __offer; __it __stands __open __until __Vasir __leaves __your __ship_."

With that, Vasir's omni-tool deactivated, leaving the two of them to stand there, both in shock. After a few moments, however, Nick just shook his head, and walked past Tela, speaking, "EDI will show you the way to the crew deck."

He didn't wait for a response as he continued out of the room, walking through the Armory out into the CIC. Quickly stepping into the elevator, he punched the button for his quarters, leaning against the wall as the car rose up in the shaft, momentarily sealing him off from the rest of the universe. As the doors slid open, and he stepped into his quarters, EDI appeared over the terminal to his left. "_Nicholas,__ Tali'Zorah __is __requesting __to __speak __to __you, __if__ you __are __not __currently __busy._"

With a raised eyebrow, Nick turned to the AI, "I'm free to talk. Send her up."

Waiting on the Quarian, he moved over to his desk, checking his mail on the terminal. Scrolling through, he couldn't help but laugh at some of the spam mail that had somehow already found its way into his inbox. A slightly timid voice caught his attention. "I'm sorry if I am interrupting something..."

Nick spun in his chair, standing up to greet her, a half grin still on his face. "No, you're not interrupting. Actually, I could use a good distraction from my problems, so now is probably the perfect time to bring something up. What can I help you with, Tali?"

He gestured for her to follow, leading her into the lower level of the room, sitting down on the couch. The Quarian sat down opposite him on the single seat couch. "Well, your being the captain of the ship, I felt that this was an issue that I should bring to your attention..."

His brow furrowed, "Is there something wrong with the ship? Or is someone giving you a bad time?"

She shook her head quickly, "No, no, nothing like that. This ship is amazing, and everyone has been very kind to me. The thing is, Brendan and Art seem to be... well, if I didn't know any better, I think that they both would like to be... um, more than friends..."

Nick couldn't help but smile slightly, an eyebrow raised. "And you don't feel the same about either of them?"

Tali's hands were furiously wringing each other as she spoke, "It's not that I don't like either of them, it's just that they are both good friends to me, and I would prefer that it would stay that way."

"Then why don't you tell them that? I'm sure they would like to hear the truth from you, rather than from someone else."

Tali looked away, up towards the ceiling window at the stars zipping past. "I don't want to hurt their feelings, and I'm not sure what I would say without ruining the friendship I have with each of them."

Nick sat there for a few moments, thinking the situation through. Finally, he looked up from the floor at her, and responded, "Well, the only advice I can give you would be to talk with each one of them individually, and tell them that you just want to be friends with them. Don't be harsh about it, and make sure they know that you value their friendship. Other than that, just trust your feelings and your judgement."

With that, he stood up, Tali following suit, and he walked her to the door of his quarters. Turning, she spoke, "Thank you for taking the time to help me out with this, Nick."

He just shrugged, waving off the compliment, "Don't worry about it, Tali. If you or anyone else has a problem, I'm more than willing to help; I keep an open door policy for any of the crew."

With that, Tali nodded, turning and stepping into the elevator. With a sigh, Nick turned back into the room, waving his hand over a console to dim the lights.

"EDI, have Ian or Miranda or somebody meet Liselle once we catch up to her, and show her to her mother. I'm going to spend some time meditating."

"_As__ you__ wish_."

* * *

><p>Solana was pissed off. Pissed off about the predicament she'd managed to get herself into, pissed off about being on a ship almost entirely controlled by geth, pissed off about almost being destroyed by what the crew kept referring to as 'Reapers', and pissed off about being dragged along for the ride. Lying low on Therum had been perfect. Alone, no-one to worry about but herself, no ties, no concerns. They'd changed all that. Nick, Brendan, Art, and Ian.<p>

The female Turian sighed to herself, as she strode purposefully towards the mess. If it weren't for Ian, Solana knew she would have left a long time ago. Yet, after the sparring, the chase, the moment afterwards... she couldn't do it. Even with his antagonistic quirks, the little sarcastic comments, the unwarranted confidence, there was a bond between them. In truth, Solana would've just wanted to keep him on Therum, live the quiet life she'd enjoyed, and have a normal relationship, with an honest job to help pay for her mother's medical expenses. Ian, on the other handed, insisted on flying around the galaxy with the rest of the crew to fight against the Reapers, and they were in far, far too deep to back out now.

Solana knew it wasn't all bad, though. The fight against the Reapers was definitely a worthwhile one, and she'd managed to reunite with her brother... for better or worse. A small part of her was nervous about a relationship with a Human, but she knew it was what she wanted. If Ian was to believed so far, he clearly felt the same way. Which was why Solana wanted to talk to him. Things had leveled out since the kiss in front of Garrus, neither of them knowing where to go next. Solana was sick and tired of waiting for a decision.

Unfortunately, the sight of Ian sitting next to Preitor Gavorn at the mess table, alone, didn't help her already surly disposition.

* * *

><p>Ian yawned to himself quietly, reaching over to the cheese sandwich which laid on the plate next to him. Somehow, he'd found himself without a job. Brendan and Art were down in Engineering, Nick was busy doing... something, and he had no idea where Solana and Garrus were at, and he had seen Miranda walking around with an Asari he hadn't seen yet, likely Aria's mysterious daughter, whom he hadn't even known existed the day before.<p>

"I can't say I expected to see anyone else in here." Preitor Gavorn had seemingly appeared from nowhere, taking a seat next to him before Ian could even reply. "I don't believe we've been acquainted. I'm Gavorn."

"Ian," the man in question finally managed to say, in-between mouthfuls of sandwich. "How you doing?"

"Well, other than seeing my home get vaporized, not too bad. Just makes for an opportunity to relocate. How about yourself?"

"Good," Ian shrugged. "Well, seeing Omega get blown up was a bit unnerving, but other than that fine. Bored, though."

"Same here." Gavorn grinned. "Maybe we could find a way to fix that."

Ian frowned a little. He didn't remember Gavorn being particularly friendly in-game... but he'd only showed up for about a minute, so it wasn't easy to get a grasp on his personality from that. Besides, he seemed nice enough. "Sure," Ian nodded. "You have something in mind?"

"I've got some booze in my room. We could get hammered," Gavorn suggested.

Ian just stared at him for a few seconds, then burst out laughing. "Sorry, pal, I don't drink."

"Damn." Gavorn looked downhearted for a few seconds, then his head snapped back up. "We could spar."

The human raised an eyebrow. "Spar? I only just met you, and you're asking to fight me? It usually takes me at least ten minutes to offend someone that badly..."

"You haven't offended me," the turian said, reassuringly. "Turians love sparring, and you look like you have some strength in you. I like that."

"You do?" Ian suddenly caught sight of Gavorn shifting a little bit closer to him. "You'd probably kick my ass, you know. Sparring only takes like five minutes."

Gavorn's eyes locked into the human's, as he grinned again, a mischevious glint in his eye. "It doesn't have to end at sparring."

Ian shrugged. "What, you've got something else in mind?"

"You might be better than you think." The turian's talon slid across the surface of the table, towards Ian's hand. "Maybe we'll need a tie-breaker. In one of our quarters."

"Oh. OH." Ian's eyes suddenly widened, as he realised the implication. His first instinct screamed run, but on the other hand... Solana _had_ pretty much been ignoring him, and Gavorn was surprisingly attractive when you got up close. "Is this... are you...?"

"Look, I'll be blunt." Gavorn put his hands on the table. "Do you want to fuck?"

"WHAT?" a flanging, female voice screamed. Ian cringed to himself quietly, slowly turning on his seat to see Solana gawping at the pair of them, her talons flexing seemingly unconsciously.

"Uh... Hi there, Sol..."

"We're leaving. Now." The female strode forward, grabbing Ian's arm and pulling him out of the chair, before turning her attention to Gavorn, baring her teeth in a snarl. "Stay away from him."

"You don't own him," Gavorn purred. "Ian and I were just talking. I made him offer, and it's his choice."

"Thanks, but no," Ian said quickly.

"Why are you saying thanks?"

Gavorn chuckled. "You should keep your human on a tighter leash. Or at least give him a reason to stay with you."

Ian wasn't really sure what happened next. He heard Solana give out a huge growl and release his arm. After that, there was a sudden flash of movement, a loud cracking noise, then Gavorn was on the floor with Solana repeatedly punching him in the face. "Sol! He's not worth it-"

Before he could say anything else, Gavorn flung Solana off of him, the female Turian slamming into Ian, both of them dropping to the floor. In a flash, she was back on her feet, crouching in an attack stance, her talons fully extended, mandibles quivering, eyes fully dilated. Gavorn sat up, taking in her appearance, before his jaw dropped, his own eyes widening in realization. "You bonded to him in the hunt?" Seeing her eyes narrow, the other Turian began to laugh, clutching his sides. "Haha! This is rich! Bonded to a Human; with that much at stake, it's a wonder you even let him out of your sight! If you can't keep your talons in him, I just might have to give you a run for your money!"

The sound of a priming shotgun behind him caused Gavorn to fall unnaturally still. Ian looked up from the Turian on the ground, only to see Garrus standing there, gun pointed at Preitor, anger and rage clearly visible on his face. "Hurt my sister, and you won't live to tell about it, scum bag."

No one moved for a few moments, during which time a set of light footsteps could be heard coming closer. Everyone turned towards the sound, just as Aria stepped into the mess hall. She looked between everyone in the group, put two and two together, and let out a sigh, turning towards Gavorn, a single brow-ridge raised. "Really, Gavorn? You couldn't just keep it in your pants until we made it somewhere safe?"

The outnumbered and outmatched Turian simply shrugged, for fear of further angering the wielder of the shotgun pointed at his head. Garrus spoke to the former queen of Omega. "Keep your lackey away from my sister and her bond-mate, and he'll keep his head on his shoulders."

Aria just rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Gavorn, get off your scaly ass and get into the observation deck. Get yourself in trouble like this again, and I won't step in to save your pathetic hide. You may be a good guard, and a damned good shot, but I can't use someone who will consistently piss off our rather graceous hosts."

Gavorn slowly got off the floor, nodding to her, slightly shaky, "Y-yes, Aria." He quickly walked past her, moving towards their designated room.

Aria spared one last glance at the three of them, before laughing to herself, turning, and leaving the mess hall. The two Turians and sole Human looked at each other, before Garrus put away his shotgun, turning towards the terminal on the far wall. "EDI, how long until we reach Noveria?"

The AI appeared over her terminal. "_Approximately__ two__ hours__ and__ twenty __minutes._"

He rounded on Solana and Ian, the former having finally begun to calm down, her eyes returning to normal. "You have two hours to figure out what the hell is going on between you two. Either you both make this work, or this nightmare ends, _now_."

Garrus then grabbed each of their arms, forcibly dragging them to the door to the main battery. As soon as the door opened, he pushed them both in, closing and locking the door behind them.

"Your brother has anger issues, you know that?" Ian muttered, dusting himself down from the push Garrus had given him and Solana as he looked around the room. It was mostly bare, save for a table and a couple of crates strewn about. "Seriously. He needs to chill out."

"Oh, I don't know," Solana growled, turning to face the Human, her eyes ablaze once again. "I think I understand where he was coming from just fine."

"Come on, Sol-"

"What? I walk in to see you getting chatted up by another Turian, and you just expect me to ignore it? A male Turian? And going for it?"

Ian wrung his hands nervously, taking a cautious step away from the female. "Look, Gavorn just lost his home. The guy wanted to flirt, I didn't have the heart to push him away. It was harmless."

"Not to _him_ it wasn't," Solana said, stepping forward to compensate for Ian moving away. "I heard what he asked you!"

"I would've turned him down!"

"Would you?" The Turian's eyes burned into Ian's, her gaze searching. "I saw the look on your face, your body language. You weren't going anywhere." Ian just sighed, looking at the wall, forcing a frustrated growl out of Solana as she moved closer. "You didn't even tell me you were into male Turians."

"Oh, what the fuck does that matter?" Ian suddenly exploded, locking eyes with Solana. "He was nice, he was interested in me, and he was offering something we both wanted. So maybe I didn't resent someone giving me some attention. Shoot me."

"Do _not_ push your luck!" Solana growled in reply. "And 'giving you attention'? What's that supposed to mean?"

Ian chuckled sardonically, folding his arms defiantly. "You're a smart girl, Sol, work it out. You barely even talk to me after that kiss in front of Garrus, we spend half our time apart... hell, the _only_ time I see you these days is at mission briefings! When was the last time we did anything as a couple, huh?"

"So you throw away everything we have when a random Turian offers you sex?"

"Sol, I don't even know what it is we're supposed to have!" Ian shouted back. "What does that even mean? A few crossed wires during some sparring, tension around Garrus, treading softly after that. Nick and Liara share a room, sleep in the same bed, you barely ever see them apart; hell, with as often as they meld, the two of them practically _share __minds_! Us, we're lucky if we see each other for two hour each day! It's not a relationship, it's high school dating!"

"No, Ian, you don't understand this," Solana replied fiercely, her own voice rising to reach the volume of his. "You think that sparring match was just a few crossed wires? That's it? You don't know what Gavorn meant by 'bonding in the hunt,' do you?"

The human breathed in deeply, trying to keep some kind of lid on his emotions as he looked at the female Turian. "Well, I guess you're going to tell me."

"Damn right!" Solana yelled. There was a brief pause, with the two of them glaring at each other, panting lightly, before Solana looked at the ground and sighed. "Spirits, this is going to sound so stupid to you. Turians have some mating, uh... instincts. Whichever one of a pair is more aggressive will generally 'hunt' the other. The better and longer the hunt, the stronger the pair. So, when I was chasing you in the cargo hold, and you pulled that pistol on me... it wasn't just crossed wires. I..."

"You imprinted yourself onto me," Ian said quietly, previous anger forgotten as he stared dumfounded at the Turian. "Jesus, Sol, did you plan on telling me this?"

"I didn't know how you'd react," she replied simply. "I've never been in any relationship before, let alone one with a Human, and... well, look at me." Solana flexed her talons, and bared her teeth slightly. "I thought it would seem too intense. I didn't want to scare you."

"You can't scare me," Ian said immediately, stepping forward to almost completely close the distance between the two of them. "I thought you'd just stopped caring. I mean, I've never been with a Turian before, and I kind of figured you might be having-"

"Second thoughts," the two of them said together. Another awkward pause lingered as the two stared at each other.

"Are you?" Ian asked.

"No. Are you?"

"No." Ian chuckled to himself, looking around the room. "I can't believe this. The only reason we didn't move this forward is because we both thought the other one was drifting away."

"And then it happened anyway," Solana nodded. "I care about you, Ian. And this whole bond-mate thing, it makes Turians protective, females especially. That's why I attacked Gavorn."

Ian nodded, unable to help a small smile. "Yeah, that makes sense now you've explained everything. Look, Sol, I want this to work."

"So do I."

"Then show it," Ian urged. "I know this is my fault too, but we need to agree to trust each other. To talk. To actually... have a relationship, you know?"

"I know," Solana replied. "You should come see me while I'm working. I could do with the company."

"I can manage that," Ian grinned. "You should move into my room."

"I didn't think you had two beds in there."

"You know, neither did I."

Solana let out a low purr, smiling. "I should really be mad at you for flirting with Gavorn like that."

"I didn't know what I was giving up by doing it."

The Turian chuckled at that. "Don't try pulling your charm on me, Ian, I'm better than that." She turned around to the door, fiddling with the panel, which flashed stubbornly red at her. "Garrus! We've sorted things out!" No reply, and the door remained locked. "Damn it! How long did he say we had?"

"Two hours, or something like that," Ian said, shrugging.

They fell into a more companionable silence after that, the two of them moving and sitting next to one another. After a couple of minutes, Solana couldn't help but grin, slowly turning towards Ian. "Well, what do you say we... find a way to make use of that time, hm?"

Ian turned towards her, at first a confused look on his face, which quickly turned to one of surprise as he found the female Turian's mouth pressed against his, the tips of her mandibles lightly brushing against his cheeks.

Her talons began to rake against his back, lightly stinging the skin beneath his shirt. Almost without thinking, his hands reached up, brushing against her mandibles, stroking them. He could feel the purring noise coming from her throat. Beginning to feel the effects of her talons on his back, his hands continued their path, moving back to Solana's fringe. Almost immediately, her purr became a sharp intake of air, her talons all but digging into his back. In an instant, Ian found himself flipped from the crate he had been sitting on, onto his back on the floor, the Turian dropping down, straddling him, picking up where she had left off without delay.

* * *

><p>Nick let out a sigh as he picked up his various weapons, wishing he could have had more time to meditate before heading for the metaphorical frying pan that was Noveria. It had taken him barely ten minutes to get his armor in place, having had enough practice with it to get it on quickly. Picking out his guns, however, was a much harder prospect, having the contents of the entire armory to choose from. As he mulled over his choices, EDI appeared off on the far wall. "<em>Nicholas,<em>_ the __Illusive __Man __would __like __to __speak __to __you._"

Nick spared the AI a glance, "He does know we're about to go down to Noveria, right?"

"_That__ is__ what__ he__ wishes__ to__ speak __to__ you__ about_."

Rolling his eyes, he nodded, "Alright. I'll be there in just a minute." He quickly grabbed his usual guns, rather than trying anything new, and briskly walked into the briefing room, the table having already recessed into the floor, the holographic field activated in front of him. Stepping into it, he had to blink a few times to help his eyes adjust to the lower light setting the Illusive Man seemed to prefer. "You need something, Timmy?"

The Illusive Man raised an eyebrow at the nickname. "I'll overlook the juvenille humor for now; I contacted you because I believe we can help each other out with the situation on Noveria."

Nick gestured to him with one hand, "Ok; shoot."

After taking a sip of his alcohol, he continued, "As I am sure you are aware, your objective within Noveria resides in Peak fifteen. However, there has been an unusual amount of activity in Peak thirteen during the past week and a half."

One of Nick's eyebrows raised in curiosity. "Alright, I'll bite. What's at Peak thirteen?"

"Officially, Peak thirteen is little more than an advance hydroponics research facility; it's been under renovation and expansion work for the past four months. However, within the past month, they seem to have found something in the ice. I'm not sure what it is, but they've moved millions of credits worth of equipment down there to get it out."

Despite himself, Nick really was becoming more intrigued. "What kind of equipment?"

The Illusive Man smirked, "De-icing equipment, as well as broad spectrum analyzing equipment, welding torches, the works. Whatever they've found down there is big; big enough that the Geth have attacked that facility along with Peak fifteen. I want to know what it is. After your mission in Peak fifteen is complete, I would like you to go to Peak thirteen, get down inside the facility, and find out what's down there."

Nodding, he replied, "And what's in it for me to check this out?"

After inhaling a puff of his cigarette, he responded, "Clearance to pass through to Peaks thirteen and fifteen with no trouble from the administrator, Anoleis. Walk in, drive out; just like that."

Nick shook his head, "Not good enough. I want access to whatever it is down there, especially if it contains some kind of advanced technology. Otherwise, you can send your own men down there to wade through piles of Geth."

The Illusive Man stared at Nick for a long moment, his eyes narrowed, before he gave a slight nod. "Very well. So long as any new technology is shared with mutual cooperation in mind."

"I can agree to that. One more thing; if this turns out to be some kind of Reaper artifact, I'm destroying it, no questions asked. Any Reaper artifact, regardless of it's size, is capable of indoctrinating people around it, and I will not leave any piece of that kind of technology lying around to cause more damage."

Immediately nodding, The Illusive Man responded, "I can't agree more on that point; my other self was quite explicit in his evidence of what could happen with that technology, as well as what the repercussions would be. Good luck down there, Nick; you may need it."

* * *

><p>AN:Well then, it would seem we have some fun soon to be had on the surface of Noveria. And what could be hidden under the miles of ice beneath Peak thirteen?


	25. Chapter 25 When Hell Freezes Over

A/N: Yeah, I owe you guys an apology. This past month has been hell. Not only has school not been kind to me, my girlfriend apparently isn't getting over the death of her grandma over the summer, and will be starting therapy in January. Also, I need a new beta reader, as Inf3ctionZ no longer has the time to serve as my beta (not that I hold it against him. I'd be a hypocrite if I did).

In a bit of better news, my exams are done, my girlfriend is home for Christmas break, I *finally* got this chapter done, and I got an iPhone for my birthday/Christmas/Hanukah/Quanzah/Valentine's day/saint Patrick's day... you get the picture.

Sarge1995: yes, things are a bit of a "charlie-foxtrot" here, aren't they?

Randompeoples: yes, you are correct, my dear sir; I seem to have misplaced the top hats and bacon.

Herr Wozzeck: The thing... yeah... not so much... Also, yeah, I never really considered the Aliens reference quite like that before.

TLMonkey: it's very fucked up. That's the point. As for the 4 council races, I guess it's a bit of a slip of the tongue. Solana's face-paint is orange because she was in cognito while she was out trying to earn money.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 25

Nick adjusted his gauntlets as he stepped out of the elevator, walking towards the armory to retrieve his guns. Stepping inside, he raised his eyebrows in surprise, finding Ashley there, a gun half disassembled in front of her on the table. She turned as he stepped in, a half smile forming. "Hey there, Nick. Been a while; how've you been? Things going good between you and Liara?"

Nodding, he continued in, picking up his guns, "Things have been going alright. Liara and I are good, actually; she surprised me when we first moved onto the ship by moving into the loft with me."

Ashley's smile turned into a cheshire grin, her curiosity obvious. "So you two are sharing a room? How has that gone for you so far?"

Nick, feeling his cheeks turning red, just shrugged, not turning around from the weapons' table. "It's been good."

Ashley raised her eyebrows, her smile continuing to grow as she stepped up next to him. "Just good? You haven't had any... occurrences, with the two of you up there all alone?"

Clearing his throat, he turned around, his face beet-red, and made as though to walk out of the Armory, "I have no idea what you're talking about Ash; I'd love to talk more, but we're landing on Noveria right now, so I'll have to take a rain-check on this chat."

Nick briskly walked out of the Armory, feeling Ashley's eyes on his back, along with her grin. As soon as the door closed, he rubbed his face with his hand, wishing he were invisible for how embarassed he felt. Before he could take a step towards the elevator, Mordin's voice caught him off guard, the Salarian stepping up to him from the direction of the lab. "Ah, Nicholas, wanted to talk before you left. Ian and Solana will not be available for current mission."

His brow furrowed in confusion as he turned towards the professor, "Why? Are they ok?"

Mordin just gestured with a vague wave, "Both will be fine; Ian currently suffering from acute allergic reaction to high levels of dextro-acid contact. Also, have discovered whipped cream causes severe rashes on Turians, most notably on visible skin between plates; fascinating discovery, warrants investigation."

Nick stared at the professor, wide-eyed, before squeezing them shut, shaking his head to try to rid the mental image from his mind. "Wow... I did _not_ need to know that." After a moment, he glared at Mordin, before stating, "For future reference, do not tell me vivid details like that unless I either ask for them, or it's something life-threatening."

Nodding, the scientist replied, "Certainly. Will inform you of their progress once you return from Noveria."

Nick just nodded back, turning and stepping into the elevator, he pressed the button for deck four, the doors sliding closed behind him. He took a moment to let out a breath, closing his eyes to try to relax. He had managed to calm himself quite a bit by the time the elevator finally reached the appropriate deck, the doors opening for him. Stepping out, he walked through the straight hallway in front of him, still amazed at the alterations done to the deck from the original design. He hadn't stopped in to the repair room off to his right, and he knew he'd likely never see the inside of Tali's clean room to his left, so neither one drew his attention.

Stepping through the set of doors on the end of the hallway, he found himself standing between two separate Kodiak shuttles, but only the one to his right had the hatch open, with a couple of the crew already standing around and inside it, ready for the mission. Stepping up towards it, Nick smirked, lightly patting Brendan on the back, "Hey guys, you all ready to go?"

Brendan nodded, turning towards him, "Yeah, we're ready. Art and I were just discussing what we figured was going to happen once we ran into Liara's mother."

Nodding, Nick's smile faded, as he replied, "I've been wondering the same thing, actually." Looking over his shoulder to make sure she wasn't behind him, he continued, "I want to try to figure out some way to take her alive, mostly unharmed if possible. I don't want to have to be responsible for killing off her mother, you know?"

Both Brendan and Art nodded, understanding looks on their faces. Before either of them could say anything else, the door opened behind them, revealing Shepard as she walked in, flanked by Kaidan and Ashley, with Liara stepping in behind them, all armed and prepared to fight. Shepard spoke up as she moved into the shuttle, "So, what do we know about Noveria?"

Nick followed her into the cockpit, taking the seat next to her as she sat down at the controls. "Well, Peak fifteen will be crawling with Geth and Asari commandos, as well as Rachni."

The Spectre's head spun towards him, her eyes wide. "Rachni?"

Nodding, he continued, "Yeah; the scientists found a cocooned Rachni queen on a derelict ship, and once they revived it, they tried to take the queen's offspring to make an obedient army of Rachni. Problem is, the Rachni are a hive-like race; the offspring need the queen to mature properly, as they communicate mind to mind. Without the queen, they're little more than wild animals."

Shepard shook her head in amazement as the shuttle gently lifted off from the deck, moving out into space, immediately heading towards the planet. After a few moments, she glanced over at him, "You knew about the Rachni queen before we even set course for here, didn't you?" At his lack of answer, she continued, "So what exactly are you wanting to do?"

Nick didn't respond immediately, mentally preparing himself for any possible rebuttle. "I was planning on recruiting the Rachni to help fight against the Reapers."

He looked over at her, worried that she might get upset at him, but her response shocked him. "Huh; that's actually not a half-bad idea. Do you think it'll work?"

Shrugging, he replied, "Well, it worked in the game, so I figured I may as well give it a shot."

Before anything else could be said, a voice came over the communications system. "_This __is __Noveria __Control__ to __unidentified __shuttle, __you __will __provide__ identification, __or __you__ will __be __shot __down._"

Pressing the controls, the Spectre spoke, "This is Spectre Shepard; I'm here on Council business."

There was a pause, followed by the response, "_We __will __have __to __confirm __your __identity; __if __it __doesn't __check __out, __your __vessel __will __be __impounded._" Immediately after, the line shut off, leaving the two of them to stare at the console incredulously.

Nick turned towards the Spectre, half grinning, "Well, they seem like a real friendly bunch." He just laughed as she rolled her eyes, not bothering to respond.

The shuttle finished the journey relatively quickly, sliding onto a small landing pad, and as a group they quickly filed out of the Kodiak, stepping into the freezing air inside the hangar. Brendan put in his two cents worth, "Couldn't they afford to turn on some heat around here? Sheesh."

Nick just shook his head, "Just keep your helmets on, and have your internal environmental controls active. I don't want anyone getting frost-bite because you forgot to turn the heat on yourselves." They began to walk towards the interior of the structure, with three guards coming into view just inside the enclosed entryway. Nick leaned in towards the Spectre, "Watch it, Shepard. These rent-a-cops have rather short fuses, and the blonde bitch is a dirty cop who'll try to bust your ass for damn near anything. Just giving you a head's up."

Shepard merely nodded, as the doors slid open, hitting them with a blast of warmer air, noticable even through their armor. As the door slid closed behind them, sealing them off from the raging wind and biting cold, the woman in the middle held up her hand, "That's far enough."

Shepard's brow furrowed, "There a problem, officer?"

The blonde cop spoke up, her voice low, "You'd better hope there isn't."

The one in the middle spoke up again, "This is an unscheduled arrival, I need your credentials."

She quickly responded, "I'm a Spectre; my name is Shepard."

Stirling spoke up again, this time louder, "Load of horse shit, ma'am."

"We will need to confirm that. Also I must advise you that firearms are not permitted on Noveria. Sergeant Stirling, secure their weapons."

Before she could take a single step forward, all seven of them had their guns trained on the three cops, who quickly raised their own guns. Shepard narrowed her eyes, "Nobody takes my weapons."

Stirling's face took on a feral grin, calling out, "Charge and lock!"

The Captain responded, "We are authorized to use lethal force. You have to the count of three to surrender your weapons. One, Two, Thr-"

"_Captain __Matsuo, __stand __down! __We __confirmed __their __identity; __Spectres __are __allowed __to __carry __weapons __here, __Captain._"

With a sigh, Matsuo simply nodded, and spoke again, "You may proceed, Spectre. I hope the rest of your visit will be less confrontational. Parasini-san will meet you upstairs."

As they moved to walk past, Stirling muttered under her breath, "Behave yourselves."

Nick, not feeling the most charitable, muttered right back from beneath his helmet, "You first, payroll."

Stirling's eyes immediately lock onto him and narrowed, but she didn't say anything, simply glaring at him as they walked past into the facility. After talking with the secretary at the desk, they stepped into the first elevator, and Brendan leaned over to Nick, asking, "I've been wondering; since we aren't using thermal clips yet, what exactly are you storing in those ordinance packs you've got on your armor?"

With a shrug, he replied, "Well, the one on my leg has an extra store of medigel, and the two on my arms have a pound and a half each of C9."

Brendan's brow furrowed, "What's C9?"

Nick couldn't help but smirk beneath his helmet, "The modern equivalent of C4, except with a much higher yield."

Art, who had been listening in, leaned in as well, "What the flying fuck do you need two bricks of C9 for?"

Shrugging, he replied, "First off, because it's the most stable explosive in existence; and secondly... well, just because."

With that, the door opened in front of them, and they quickly filed out, Nick stepping up next to Shepard as she spoke, "Where do we go from here?"

Nick just gestured with his hand, "Follow me." He quickly moved forward, taking the direct route through the various walk-ways towards the administrator's office. Stepping through the doors, Nick had to resist the urge to groan, seeing the obstinate Salarian sitting there.

"Yes, yes, what do you want? I'm very busy."

Moving closer to his desk, Nick replied, "We're here to go to Peaks fifteen and thirteen."

Anoleis immediately stopped his typing, looking up at the group with narrowed eyes. "Who sent you?"

Going on a hunch, Nick leaned forward, softly answering, "Our mutual benefactor."

Slowly, the Salarian reached into his desk, pulling out a thin card, and handed it, gingerly, to him. As soon as Nick took the card, Anoleis abruptly turned back to his work, speaking to them in a rather clipped fashion, "You have what you came for; now leave me be."

Without speaking any further, Nick turned and, shrugging, led the group out of the office and towards the garage.

* * *

><p>Commander Pressley let out a sigh as he ran over the newest list of assignments that he had recieved from Alliance Command, walking through the CIC towards the galaxy map. As he got near, he heard one of the doors open, followed by a rather heavy set of footfalls, causing him to look up at the sound. He nearly wet himself, seeing the rather large Krogan walking straight towards him, eyes narrowed in what could only be annoyance. "You, Human; where did Shepard and all her lackeys go?"<p>

"Th-th-they left with Nick a couple of hours ago, on his ship. I g-guess she... um... forgot to come get you?"

The Krogan stared at him for what felt like eons, before he smirked, uttering in a low voice, "How fast can you get this bucket to wherever they went?"

* * *

><p>Nick could hear Liara crying out in surprise as the borrowed Mako rocketed around a snow-covered rock outcropping, plowing through a Geth Prime standing in their way. He reached out, grasping her hand, as they continued through the cold. He called out towards the cockpit, "Do you have it, Shepard? Or do you want me to come up and drive?"<p>

She immediately responded, "I've got it, thank you very much. Knowing your luck, you'd find something out there that would try to eat us again."

Despite the joking nature the statement held, the memories of the Thresher Maw were still a little too fresh in everyone's minds to laugh. No one really said anything else as the Mako blasted through the snow-covered mountains, Shepard doing her best to keep the vehicle on the deceptively thin strip of 'road' that led to Peak fifteen. As they drove, Nick noticed that out in the open, they didn't run into any Geth.

That changed, however, as soon as they entered the first artificial tunnel built along the road, providing a roof to protect against the harshest part of the storm raging around them. As bullets began to whiz past the Mako, Shepard yelled out, "Nick, take the turret and get rid of those Geth!"

Without hesitating, Nicholas threw off his harness, and flung his weight across the cabin, launching himself towards the gunner's seat. He pressed the button to power up the turret while he strapped himself in, doing his best to keep his balance while the Spectre maneuvered the Mako around to keep from taking too much damage. As soon has he had the controls in hand, he swung the turret around, pointing towards the direction of the incoming fire. He pressed down on both triggers, firing a high explosive shell and a stream of machine gun fire.

He couldn't help but smile as he saw numerous forms get launched into the air as the tank shell impacted the ground on the far end of the tunnel, the amount of return fire dropping almost immediately. The Mako continued down the tunnel, and Nick made sure to pick off the two or three remaining Geth standing in their way. As they exited the artificial cave, he swore, realizing that he couldn't see more than a few feet in front of the vehicle. He leaned down from the gunner's seat, "Shepard, how the hell are we going to reach Peak fifteen if we can't even see fifteen feet in front of the Mako?"

She yelled back and up to him without turning around, "I'll get us there, you just worry about the Geth between us and that facility!"

Nick just shook his head, turning back to his controls, muttering, "Easier said than done. I can't shoot what I can't see."

For the next twenty minutes, Nick sat there, staring at both his radar and out the viewport, desperately watching for any signs of Geth on the path. However, even passing through the second artificial tunnel carved through the mountainside proved to be an easy trek, the tunnel standing empty. Nick couldn't help but feel nervous, wondering where all the Geth were at if they weren't where they were supposed to be.

Finally, the Mako rolled to a stop outside what had to be Peak fifteen. He could feel as the vehicle was shut down, all mechanical noises ceasing, quickly overcome by the sounds of the storm raging outside. He unfastened his harness, carefully sliding out of the seat and moving into the back as Shepard addressed the group.

"We can't take the Mako into the facility, due to a crashed vehicle being in our way. We're just going to have to walk the fifteen feet or so through the storm to the facility. Be careful; the snow can still blind you, even for that short distance, and I have little desire to go looking for one of you just because you were careless. Got it?"

Seeing everyone nod, she put on her helmet, with everyone doing the same, following her example. Shepard glanced around, making sure everyone was secured, before popping open the hatch to the Mako. As soon as she did, the wind whipped the hatch open, yanking it out of her hand, the echo of the door smacking the side of the tank barely noticeable over the roar of the wind. The snow immediately began to blow through the interior of the vehicle, nearly blinding them to their view beyond their own visors.

Shepard pulled herself out of the Mako, with Nick reaching the hatch, when the Spectre stopped, her head tilted to one side. She spoke through the comm. link, "Do you hear that noise?"

Nick stopped, his head partly out of the vehicle, when he happened to notice the slightest whistling noise, barely audible over the roaring of the storm. He looked up in time to see a colored streak shoot through the sky, directly into the facility in front of them. His eyes widening in realization, Nick shot his hand out, grabbing a hold of Shepard's hardsuit. With a yank, he pulled her back into the Mako, just as the world around them erupted in a bright flash, followed by a magnificently enormous roar. A shockwave hit the Mako, causing the vehicle to roll over and over again, throwing the occupants around like rag-dolls.

Nick held onto Shepard's armor with one hand, and one of the harnesses with the other, groaning as he could feel his arm dislocate from the forces exerted on his body. As they rolled, he happened to look up, just in time to see a flash of white armor as it rushed toward him, hitting his helmet straight on, bringing stars to his eyes in an explosion of pain. Dimly, he noticed the roaring sound seeming to be louder, as well as a sudden chill on his skin.

* * *

><p>Shepard couldn't help but groan as the Mako came to a halt, the floor now serving as the ceiling. She gingerly began checking her limbs, ensuring nothing was broken. She was interrupted by a gasping noise. Looking over, she saw Nick lying on the floor, futilely attempting to cover the gaping hole in his shattered visor, struggling to breathe. Liara was immediately at his side, trying to figure out what to do.<p>

The Spectre moved towards the hatch of the Mako, only to let loose a string of swearing, seeing the door to the hatch had been snapped off while they had been rolling. Thinking quickly, Shepard spun, and she bodily lifted the still struggling Nick, and half-dragged him into the Mako's sealed cockpit, the door having been left open. She could hear Liara's frantic cries as she followed her in. As soon as they were in, Shepard slammed her hand down onto the controls, the hatch sealing them off from the vehicle's breached cargo bay.

As soon as she saw they had a good seal, and could feel heat slowly seeping back into the cockpit, she tore off her helmet, then reached down, taking Nick's helmet off as well. As soon as she did so, she almost wished she hadn't; most of his face was covered in both frostbite and a layer of frost, a result of exposure to the extreme cold of Noveria. Biting back a curse, she pulled out a pack of medi-gel, opening it and smearing it across his face. She winced as he gasped, letting out a choked, painful cry, the sound indicating damage to his lungs.

Shepard turned to Liara, "His lungs may have been damaged from the cold. I don't think there's anything we can do for him here. Unless we get him back to the ship, we may lose him."

Liara's eyes widened, before her face took on a hard-as-stone look, and she spoke, her voice filled with steel. "I will not lose him, Shepard."

Furrowing her brow in confusion, she asked, "What could you possibly do? You're not a medical doctor!"

"Asari can, in rare cicrcumstances, meld with another for the purposes of sustaining them in life or death situations. Just get us help, and I will hold onto him as long as I can." With that, she lowered her head to his, and spoke, "Embrace eternity!"

As Shepard watched, she could hear Nick's breathing slowly improve, but very slowly, as his chest seemed to rise of its own accord. She brought up her Omni-tool, "Joker, we need the shuttle at our location; Nick was exposed to the cold air, and he needs surgery ASAP!"

"_Roger __that, __Shepard. __By __the __way, __you __did __happen __to __notice __Peak __fifteen __just __got __anhiliated __by __a __Geth __orbital __strike, __right?_"

Biting back a curse, she responded, "We got caught in the blast wave."

"_Copy __that. __Shuttle __should __arrive __in __five __minutes_."

Shepard kept from responding, opting instead to cut the link, and she turned back towards Nick and Liara, doing her best to keep calm. She checked his pulse, relieved to feel that his heart wasn't racing too fast, which meant his heart wouldn't give out from stress anytime soon. She continued to gently rub medi-gel on his facial burns as they waited for the shuttle to arrive.

* * *

><p>As soon as Liara entered Nick's mind, she could feel him struggling, his voice echoing through her head.<p>

"I... I can't... I can't breathe... Why...? It hurts..."

She immediately moved towards the sound, finding Nick's mental self lying on the ground, curled up in the fetal position, clutching desperately at his chest, his eyes wide with fear. Liara kneeled with him, and pulled him up, forcing him to look at her. "I'm here, Nick; focus on me. Whatever you do, just focus on me."

His brow furrowed in confusion, "Liara? Why... Why are you... here?"

She could feel tears rolling down her face as she spoke, "I'm going to help you, Nick." Before he could say anything else, she pressed her mouth to his, forcing him to breathe.

* * *

><p>As the shuttle lowered to the ground, Shepard pulled out a spare helmet that had been stored in the mako, and gingerly slid it over Nick's head, making sure to seal it with his armor. The medi-gel had been able to repair almost all the damage to his face, but his lungs were still in dire need of repair. After a moment, she also slid Liara's helmet over her head, knowing she was focused solely on keeping Nikc alive.<p>

Once her own helmet was secured, she hit the release on the door, the hatch sliding open, allowing both the cold and the rest of the group into the cockpit.

Pointing, she spoke, "Ash, Kaidan, I need you to carry Nick. Brendan, Art, you two lead Liara onto the shuttle. Keep them both close to each other; Liara's keeping Nick alive through some kind of mind meld."

As a group, they all moved towards the shuttle, leaving the borrowed Mako behind. Idly, Shepard noticed that the storm had subsided, likely an after effect of the shockwave from the orbital strike, leaving the skies bright and clear. As soon as they were all aboard the shuttle, the hatch closed, and the vehicle shot up off the ground, quickly accelerating into the skies.

Shepard took the helmet off of Nick, and began putting more medi-gel on the few remaining patches of damaged skin. Kaidan kneeled down on the opposite side of Nick, looking at him. "What exactly happened, Shepard?"

She let out a sigh, furrowing her brow, "He saved me, that's what happened. Some point after he pulled me back into the Mako, he smashed his visor open, and the cold hit his face and lungs full blast. The only way we can fix his lungs is if we get him to the med-bay." She glanced up at the Asari, who hadn't hardly moved since they got her to the shuttle. "Liara is doing some sort of special Asari meld to keep him alive, I think. I'm willing to believe it, since his breathing hasn't worsened since she started."

Kaidan began to examine Liara, waving his Omni-tool over her kneeling form, before letting out a drawn breath. "I'm not sure what affect this will have on her, Shepard; she is rather young for an Asari. For all we know, if we don't hurry and fix him up, it could kill her."

Brendan spoke up from behind Kaidan, "What exactly is she doing, anyways?"

Kaidan just shook his head, not taking his eyes off of his Omni-tool. "I'm not sure, Brendan. The most I know about Asari is that they can meld minds with people. What she's doing with Nick right now... it defies explanation. It's as though she's using her mind to force his body to continue working, fueling it with her own energy."

Shepard cut in, "So it's fascinating; how long can she hold it?"

He looked up at her, a wary look in his eye, "Not long."

The two of them looked at each other a moment before Joker's voice rang out through the comms, "_Shepard,__ the __Normandy__ just __showed __up. __Apparently __someone __forgot __their __pet __krogan-_"

The Spectre didn't let him finish, "Joker, contact the Normandy; get Chakwas over to the Pearl ASAP, we're going to need her help getting Nick through this."

* * *

><p>Liara could vaguely make out the fact that people were talking around her, but she tried her best to focus solely on Nick, trying her best to keep him alive. She could feel the effort steadily sapping strength from her body. Within his mind, she held him in her arms, her mind pervading most of his body. However, she noticed when he turned his head up towards her, his eyes wide.<p>

"L-Liara... let... let me go..."

Her eyes widened, her mind almost completely overcome with shock, as she uttered in response, "Wh-what?"

He seemed to struggle to form the words, even with just his mind. "I... I can feel... you... getting weaker... I can't... lose you... let me go..."

She furiously shook her head, her tears dripping down onto his forehead. "I won't! I can't, Nick; please, don't ask me to."

His brow furrowed as he looked up at her. "Why...?"

She pressed her forehead against his, "I couldn't go on without you, Nick; I won't go on knowing I could have had you for my whole life, only to let go of you now. Either you fight and stay with me, or we both pass on into the abyss. So you fight; fight, damn it!"

She stared into his eyes, willing him to stay with her, until she saw him jaw set, and she felt him begin to struggle himself, fighting against the oblivion threatening to swallow him whole.

* * *

><p>Doctor Chakwas grimaced as she stepped into the med-bay, realizing that she had no idea where any of the equipment was at, or how anything was categorized and stored. Those thoughts, however, disappeared as soon as the doors slid open, and she caught the sound of pained wheezing. Before she could step up, however, a Salarian stepped up to the prone form.<p>

"Hmm, severe damage to lungs, surgery needed for chance of survival." At this, he turned, regarding her, before speaking, "Ah, doctor Chakwas, have heard of you. I am professor Mordin Solus. Would appreciate help with surgical procedure."

She nodded, and gestured, "Shall we?"

Without any further introduction, the two of them moved Nick's body into the bay, Chakwas noticing Liara standing directly over him, her eyes black. Shepard explained, "It seems she's keeping him alive through some kind of mind meld. Other than that, we aren't sure what's going on."

Nodding, she spoke to Mordin, "Give her an IV; if she is in fact keeping him alive, the last thing we need is for her to pass out in the middle of surgery."

Nodding, the Salarian did as she asked, the Asari not even flinching to register the slight pain of the needle. They worked quickly, stripping the armor off of Nick, and cleaning his chest. Chakwas could hear machinery working in the back, likely already preparing a set of cloned lungs to replace the damaged ones. She would have to ask about it later, as she pushed it to the back of her mind, her knife in hand.

* * *

><p>Most of the ground crew sat or stood in the mess hall, no one speaking above a whisper, as they all waited to hear on Nick's condition. They had all gathered there over an hour ago, when he had been brought onto the ship and whisked into the med-bay. Even Aria had made her presence known, though she spoke to no one there.<p>

Almost everyone in the room jumped when the med-bay door slid open, the old doctor brushing her hair out of her face with a tired sigh as she walked. She stopped momentarily as she saw everyone around her, before clearing her throat to speak. "We managed to replace his damaged lungs, but we don't know if a lack of oxygen could have damaged his brain. As for Liara, she passed out almost as soon as we finished stitching him back up."

Aria's brow furrowed as she listened, "Why would Liara pass out?"

The doctor shrugged, "Apparently she was keeping Nick alive through some special kind of meld. It must have drained her of almost all her energy. I'm simply amazed it didn't kill her."

Aria's eyes grew wide, and without another word she stood up from her chair, storming out of the mess hall, leaving everyone else to watch her go, confused.

* * *

><p>Nick groaned as he felt consciousness slowly return to him. Each breath seemed to feel raw, as though his lungs had been run through a meat grinder.<p>

"That would not be far from what happened, actually."

He turned at the sound of the voice, only to see Liara lying on the bed next to him, an IV in her arm. She was staring at the ceiling, as though she were trying to avoid looking at him. He furrowed his brow, confused as to why.

"Why isn't important, Nick. Just rest." As his eyes grew wide in surprise, Liara continued, "It would seem that my meld to keep you alive has somehow linked our minds together. I can hear your thoughts, and with a little practice, I have no doubt you could do the same with my own thoughts. Unfortunately, that is not the most concerning issue at hand."

She turned to look at him, and as he looked into her eyes, the breath caught in his throat, nearly sending him into a coughing fit. Despite this, his eyes never left hers, disbelieving.

Her eyes were orange.


	26. Chapter 26 A Monument of Many Sins

A/N: Writer's block, Skyrim, writer's block, Battlefield 3, 17 credit hour quarter, Writer's block... You get the picture. There is NOTHING more frustrating than knowing where I want to be three-plus chapters from now, but not knowing how to get there. But I've finally gotten here. I sincerely apologize to anyone who's still following this for the excessively long wait.

CuHnadian: Yeah, I thought it'd be more fun to mix things up a bit, throw the occasional ball out of left field, etc.

One Over Infinity: What in this story HASN'T had some kind of major effect on the ME universe?

Coldial: Nick's in charge of the ship, but he defers to Shep for most command-esque decisions, due to her much greater level of knowledge & experience.

Follower38: I live and write for the bombshells.

Cool 5174: forgetting Wrex... Yeah, I got nothin'.

NoHetero: true, I can see where you're coming from; that being said, always being able to know what someone else is thinking can cause its own set of problems.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 26

Nick couldn't help but stare at Liara's now-orange eyes in both confusion and shock. He finally managed to find his voice, "H-how... what... huh?"

Liara half smiled at his confusion for a moment, before her face became serious again. "I don't really know what could have caused this. As I said, I performed a special type of mind meld to keep you alive. But for what could have caused this..."

Another voice joined in from the doorway, "It's called the Binding of Souls; and it's a rare enough occurrence that most Asari don't even know what it is."

Nick looked over at the door, only to furrow his brow in confusion. "Aria? How would you know about it?"

The older Asari simply turned her stony gaze towards him, her eyes void of all emotion. "Because I'm old enough to have seen it happen before." Without elaborating, she spun around, intent to leave the med-bay.

Liars spoke up before the door closed, "Wait! What is the Binding of Souls?"

Aria stopped, and stood in the door for a few moments, before looking over her shoulder. "It's where an Asari connects not only her mind to another person, but her very soul. It is irreversible, and even if the connection fades over time, it will never break. It's said that the connection even extends to life and death; if one dies, then so does the other."

Nick spoke up, "What makes this happen?"

Aria turned around fully, her eyes locking with Liara's. "Saving another person with a prolonged mind meld."

With that, Aria left, the door sealing Liara and Nick in the med-bay. The room remained quiet for a few minutes while both of them tried to digest the information.

After a few moments, Liara cleared her throat, speaking, "I am sorry, Nick. I didn't mean for this to happen."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Nick turned to her, forcing himself to sit up in the bed. He inhaled sharply, a lance of pain in his chest informing him his new lungs weren't quite ready for the sudden action. Liara stood from her bed, moving to Nick's side. He looked at her as she stood in front of him, responding, "Don't apologize, Liara. You didn't do anything wrong. If anything, I should be thanking you for saving me." After a moment, he smirked, continuing, "Though I guess this means I won't be able to keep any secrets from you now."

Liara glanced away, a slight blush visible. "W-well, you could eventually learn to keep certain thoughts private with enough practice... I think..."

Nick's face took on a thoughtful look, "Well then, I'd better get to practicing; I wouldn't want you to take advantage of being the only mind reader in this relationship." He smiled, giving Liara a kiss on the cheek.

Another voice sounded out from the door, "It's good to see my latest patient up and awake. How are you feeling?"

Nick turned to face doctor Chakwas, giving her a smile, "Actually, I'm feeling pretty good. Anything exciting happen while I was out?"

The doctor shrugged, "Shepard is planning on heading back down to Noveria in a couple of hours. Beyond that, everything has been quiet."

Nodding, he gingerly lowered himself to the floor, taking as deep of breaths as he could. "Good; this time when I go down there, I'll be sure to actually wear my death mask, rather than one of those flimsy helmets with the glass visors."

Chakwas moved to intercept him, her hands raised, "Nick, you shouldn't be going down there; you need to give your body time to adjust to the new lungs-"

He waved her off, "I'll be fine, doc. After all, we're just going down for a quick peek; there shouldn't be anything overly dangerous down there, unless the plants are carnivorous or something."

The doctor rolled her eyes, letting out a defeated sigh. "Very well; if you're so determined, I doubt I could do much to stop you, short of forcibly sedating you. But if you come back with even more life threatening injuries, I may very well keep the tranquilizer gun handy. Is that understood?" Nick, eyes wide, could only nod. After a moment, her stern face turned into a smile, and she continued, "Good. Now get a move on; I have things I need to do to familiarize myself with this new med-bay."

With that, they turned and walked out the med-bay. Turning, Nick saw Ian, Brendan and Art sitting at the mess table. He turned to Liara, "You go ahead and head up to the loft; I'll be up in a bit."

At first she have him a confused look, but glancing at the table, smiled, nodding, and turned, leaving Nick to walk over towards the mess hall table.

* * *

><p>Art sat at the mess hall table, aimlessly pushing food around his tray. Ian and Brendan were both chatting about something next to him, but he was too far lost in his own thoughts to pay any attention to their conversation. He was still a bit upset about the talk Tali had had with both he and Brendan, essentially dropping both of them into the 'friend zone.' He supposed it was a bit of a bittersweet close to that story, knowing that Tali hadn't wanted to be more than friends with Brendan any more than she did with him. Somehow, though, he couldn't seem to find the humor in it.<p>

He heard the med-bay door open behind him, but didn't turn, figuring that if someone needs him, they'd get his attention. He nearly jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder, and Nick's head popped out from above his left side. "Hey guys, how's it hanging?"

Everyone at the table smiled, including Art, as Ian spoke up, "Nick, you're up!"

Nodding; he sat down next to Art, "Yeah, finally. I'm getting sick of waking up in the med-bay." He paused a moment, before smirking, "Say, how about next time one of you three takes the life threatening injury? Any volunteers?"

Laughing, Brendan raised his hand. "I'll go for it; after all, you can't get all the glory for risking life and limb in the face of duty!"

Ian nudged Brendan's shoulder, "Sure, you just want to get some kind of wicked scars to show off to the ladies."

Feeling his mood rise a little, Art joined in with his own jab, "Says the guy who's in a relationship with the velociraptor who can cut your face to pieces. Granted, that might be an improvement..."

He laughed, ducking to avoid a flying spoon flung in his direction. In moments, all of them were laughing, enjoying the short reprive from duty and battle. Wiping away a tear, Nick began to cough, holding his chest for a few moments, before taking a deep breath. Ian, the first to notice, furrowed his brow in concern, "Hey, you ok Nick?"

He didn't answer at first, simply nodding until he caught his breath. "Y-yeah; the new lungs aren't quite up to par just yet."

Nodding, Ian began to scratch at the back of his neck, "I hear that; I'm still recovering from my own... Uh, injuries."

Brendan smirked, "Yeah, after all, your _battle wounds _were quite extensive, if Chakwas is to be believed."

Ian shifted, clearly uncomfortable with where the conversation was turning. "So Nick, what's the plan, now that the Geth have obliterated the Rachni?"

Nick shrugged, letting out a sigh, "We head down to Peak 13 to find out what the Geth were looking for down there."

Art furrowed his brow, "But we don't have the foggiest clue in hell what's down there."

Nodding, Nick replied, "Trust me, I know. That's why we need to see what they were after. If it's important, we can't let them have it."

Brendan interjected, "So... what, then? We go down there and blow things up?"

Smiling, he replied, "More than likely."

* * *

><p>Miranda nearly jumped as her terminal beeped at her, indicating a new message in her inbox. Stepping up to her desk, she quickly activated her mail, and opened the message.<p>

After reading the message, she shook her head, almost unbelieving, and read the message a second time. Finally, she stood up, and moved into the back section of her room, opening up the compartment holding her equipment she had always kept, but never figured she'd end up ever using.

* * *

><p>Nick couldn't help but grimace as a twinge of pain shot through his chest, causing him to stop putting on his torso armor momentarily. Before he could recover, a pair of hands were on him, helping to slide his armor into place. He glanced over his shoulder, only to let out a quiet sigh. "I could have gotten it, Liara."<p>

She gave him a slight smile as she finished, keeping her hands on his shoulders a few extra moments. "I know; I wanted to help."

He opened his mouth to reply, when he heard Miranda's voice from the other side of the hangar, "Commander Shepard, may I have a word?"

Looking over, Nick couldn't help but notice the Cerberus operative had her armor on, as well as a full compliment of weapons. He heard Brendan mutter from behind him, "Something's not right." At the questioning glances he received from both Nick and Liara, he continued, "That woman never wears full body armor on the ground team. If she's coming down in full battle gear, then she knows something the rest of us don't. I don't like it, and I don't trust her."

Nodding, Nick replied, "Now that you mentioned it, you're right. That being said, though, it is a blizzard down there; she'd freeze if she wore anything less down there."

Brendan shrugged, "Even so, I just don't trust her."

Nick nodded, and closed his eyes, trying to relax. As he sat there, however, he noticed he could sense Liara's mind brushing his own, comfort and trust radiating from it, allowing him to relax. He looked at her, and smiled, before picking up his death mask. He made an over dramatic show of putting the helmet on, making sure it was sealed in place, the comical nature of it causing Liara to laugh a little.

A few minutes later, Nick sat in the shuttle as it gently lifted off the deck, moving to head down directly to Peak Thirteen. Glancing around, he saw Brendan and Art next to Liara, with Shepard, Miranda, Ashley and Wrex on the opposite side of the shuttle. Although the atmosphere inside the shuttle was relatively calm, no one spoke, making the shuttle ride almost uncomfortable.

As they hit the atmosphere, Nick couldn't help but wince as his chest clenched uncomfortably, thankful that his death mask helmet hid his face from everyone else. He nearly jumped when Shepard spoke up, "What we know about Peak thirteen is this; it's supposed to be some kind of hydroponics research facility, and it's currently gone silent. We also know they found something in the ice below the facility, and they were in the process of digging it out. Our job is to get to it before the Geth, and make sure they can't get their metal claws on whatever it is."

Ashley leaned forward to look around Wrex, "So we have absolutely no idea what's down there?"

Shepard turned to look at Nick, cueing him to answer. "The Illusive Man didn't really tell me much else, other than they were working on expanding the facility when they found something down there."

Ashley nodded, leaning back in her seat. No one else spoke as the shuttle began to buffet about from turbulence, the storm having partly returned from earlier, though nowhere near the same strength.

After a few minutes, Sammy, their still-masked AI, turned, "We have landed. I shall remain here until you return."

Shepard stood first, moving towards the hatch. She turned, making sure everyone had their helmets in place, before popping open the hatch. Immediately a wall of white snow began swirling into the enclosed space, cutting the visibility down dramatically. Nick had to suppress a shudder, tryin to keep his heart rate down from the memories of the all too recent accident. Pressing a few buttons on his Omni-tool, the view in his helmet shifted to infrared, the others around him flaring in bright orange and red.

No one bothered pulling their weapons, knowing that there were no active defenses nearby, and Geth platforms could not withstand the extreme cold for prolonged periods of time. They quickly made their way to the facility's door, Shepard already working on opening the facility's door.

A moment later, the door's panel turned green. Ashley patted the Spectre on the back, "Nice job, skipper. I think you just gave Tali a run for her money."

She just turned to the gunnery chief, "I didn't do that. It opened by itself."

Glances were shared behind their helmets, before Nick spoke up, "As creepy as it may be, how about we move inside, hm? I don't feel like breaking my brand new lungs on another blizzard."

With that, they entered the facility, pulling out their weapons. As soon as the door slid shut behind them, all motion ceased, the lights inside the facility flickering rapidly, with some fixtures smashed to oblivion. The half-functioning lights cast a rather ominous blanket on the entire facility. In front of them sat the interior to the garage, but no vehicles within. As a unit, they all moved forward, further into the seeming abyss. They neared a door, Ashley called out, "Skipper, I've got blood over here."

About ten feet from the door, sat a large pool of dried blood. Examining it closer, Nick could see what appeared to be foot prints, as well as other markings in the blood, but he couldn't make out what it could have been. He pointed, asking, "Shepard, you ever see something like that before?"

The Spectre bent down, and examining it, shrugged, "Looks like something was dragged across the blood before it dried. Your guess is as good as mine what it was, though." After a moment, she stood, and moved for the door, "Regardless, we need to get moving."

With that, they stepped up to the next door, only for it to automatically unlock like the first door. Art spoke up from the back of the group, "Ok, someone has got to be toying with us; no way this is accidental."

Wrex let out a grunt as he walked past, "Who cares? Either they're friendly and we save them, or they're hostile, and we shoot 'em."

With that wisdom imparted, the group moved through a series of hallways, each time finding more pools of blood, some even fresh; there was something missing, however.

Ashley, normally the level one, let out a nervous cough. "Where do you think all of the bodies went?"

Brendan shrugged, "Who knows? At this point, I'd rather see a live one than a bunch of dead ones."

Nick turned to reply, when a sudden burst of motion caught his attention at the corner of his eye. As soon as he turned to look, however, there was nothing there. Shepard stepped up next to him, "You see something Nick?"

He waited a moment, before shrugging, "Not sure; I thought I did..."

His train of thought was interrupted when Wrex spoke up, "If you were wondering, the lap dog went that way."

Everyone spun around, only to find the Cerberus operative missing. Shepard swore under her breath, before bringing up her Omni-tool, "EDI, can you locate Lawson's Omni-tool signal?"

The AI was quiet for a moment, before responding, "_I believe I can triangulate her position, but it will take time._"

Shepard turned to Wrex, "Did you see where she went?"

Nodding, the Krogan gestured towards an unlit hallway, seemingly unsuspecting. Nick heard Ash let out a sigh, "Oh goodie; a trip down the creepily dark, spooky hallway. This sounds like _such _a good idea."

Shepard shot her a glare, before turning to Nick, "Well, do you think we should follow her?"

Nick nodded, his eyes not leaving the dark passage, "If she knows where she's going, then she can lead us to the source of all this; otherwise, we can brow beat her for stupidity if she gets stuck in some dead end somewhere."

With that, the group quickly moved into the hallway, Omni-tools lighting the way in front of them. Strangely, the further in they walked, the less blood they found painting the floors and walls, until they reached what appeared to be a storage closet, nearly immaculately clean.

Bringing up his Omni-tool, Nick spoke, "EDI, hack this door; it's the only door we've found, so there has to be more to it than a storage closet." Only a few moments later, a wall panel to their right slid open, revealing a hidden passage. Smiling, he continued, "Nice work, EDI."

The AI responded, "_I did not do that, Nick._"

Everyone glanced at each other, nervousness clearly visible. Shrugging, Brendan took the lead, his assault rifle at the ready. They all quickly followed. Once again, they began seeing signs of battle, blood and bullet holes in the walls and floors, but there wasn't a single body to be found.

As they rounded a corner, EDI pinged Nick's Omni-tool. "_I have located Miranda's signal; however, there is a message that she received that I only recently was able to access. I believe you will want to read it._"

Before he could reply, the message appeared over his arm.

_Miranda,_

_Peak Thirteen-B has gone silent. I need you to find out why. Make sure you're on the ground team, and when able, access the data logs. All the information you'll need on the facility is on the attached file. Survivors are a secondary concern; the data logs are primary. No one else can know about this; if they find out, put them down; quietly, if possible. Get it done. _

_Illusive Man_

If Nick would have been able, he would have slammed his Omni-tool closed out of anger. He turned towards the group, his voice low, "The Illusive Man has once again tried to screw us over. Peak 13B is a Cerberus facility."

Gasps went around the group, as Shepard spoke, "Maybe it's time we reconsider our affiliation with Cerberus, then?"

Nick shook his head, "I'm not making any decisions like that until we get all the facts. Let's just find Miranda..." He tapered off, staring down the hallway, squinting, as another shape seemed to move just out of his range of vision, as though they were being followed. Shaking his head, he continued, "Let's find her and get the hell out of here."

* * *

><p>Stepping into what appeared to be some kind of offices, Nick brought up the nearest terminal, and attempted to access any pertinent files. What came up turned out to be some kind of audio log. "<em>I'm not sure what the Illusive Man expects from us; we're playing with forces far outside our level of comprehension out here. Sure, we're making great strides in technology, but one wrong move and we risk collapsing the entire universe!<em>"

An eyebrow raised, Nick turned from the computer, only to hear Art speak up, "What the fuck are they talking about? What technology?"

Shepard spoke before Nick could manage, "It doesn't matter; not yet, anyways. What matters right now is figuring out what happened to everyone here."

Without waiting for anyone else to respond, Shepard walked out of the room, expecting everyone else to follow. Nick glanced around the room as he moved towards the door, but stopped as a piece of equipment on the far side of the room caught his attention. He called out, "Hang on, guys. There's something here I want to check out."

Nick walked across the room, only to nearly drop his gun in surprise. Liara was at his side almost immediately. "Nick, what's wrong?"

He couldn't speak at first, allowing everyone else to catch up with them. Art spoke out, "Hey, that looks like the computer rig from that one movie... what was it... oh yeah, Tron Legacy. But it couldn't possibly be that... could it?"

Without answering, Nick stepped forward, linking his Omni-tool to the archaic-looking computer in front of him. He glanced at some of the coding that flew across his screen, before gasping, "Holy shit; it really is...!"

Shepard stepped up next to him, "It is what, Nick?"

Without turning to look at her, he began a full data transfer from the computer to his Omni-tool. "This is the link that connects our world to the digital world. Brendan, get some scans of that laser array, in case we can't come back for it; I want a complete enough scan that we could rebuild it from scratch, got it?"

"I got it, Nick."

Brendan had barely started scanning the device when Art pressed a button on a nearby console, the screen flaring to life, showing a man in what appeared to be a lab coat. "_Log twenty seven point two; we have been testing this computer for the past week. One of the new assistants managed to discover the command code for the laser two days ago. This resulted in said assistant being disintegrated and reintegrated within the system. Utterly fascinating, such a unique technology. Unfortunately, further tests yield no further results, as none of our subjects have been able to come back out once inside the system._"

The log closed, before another image flared to life, showing the same researcher, but his coat was torn, and blood ran down the side of his face. "_I don't know what those morons in the lower levels did, but the facility is being overrun by... something. As much as I enjoyed these new discoveries, I was never comfortable sending people through the rifts. Well, now we atone for our mistakes; we pay with our lives. If anyone finds this, leave; leave while you can, and destroy this facility from orbit. What meager advances we've made do not warrant the threat we now face._" Screaming could be heard in the background, followed by an inhuman roar. The scientist looked up from the computer, panicked, barely able to let out a scream as a blurry shape shot across the image, tackling the man to the ground. An instant later, the image cut out, leaving the group standing there in shock.

No one spoke for a few moments, all of them processing what they had just seen. Finally, Ashley cleared her throat, "Maybe we should just head back to the ship? We, uh, probably don't have to worry about whatever's down here..."

She trailed off as she turned towards the door they had entered in, only to see the panel turn red, before powering down completely. Art groaned, "Of course that would be too easy."

Brendan's Omni-tool pinged, drawing everyone's attention. Glancing down, he spoke, "I've finished the scan, Nick. We've got everything we need on this thing."

Nodding, Nick turned towards the Spectre, gesturing, "After you."

As a group, they continued out through the halls, their guns at the ready. Each door they passed through would seal behind them, locking and powering down, effectively trapping them further and further within the facility. No more rooms would open for them, each door sealed and powered down to prevent hacking. Nick noted that he could hear sounds from behind a number of the doors.

Each time the group rounded a corner, another turn in the seemingly endless halls, Nick would catch a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye, but each time he turned to look, nothing was there. He nearly jumped as Brendan let out a frustrated growl, "Am I the only one who keeps seeing things moving? Or am I just losing my mind?"

Wrex began to chuckle, before responding, "Can't comment on your sanity, but there's something else here."

Shepard glanced at the Krogan, "Any idea what?"

He shook his head, his red eyes narrowed, "It smells... different; almost like death, with a hint of mustiness to it. I can't place it."

Shepard stared at the Krogan for a few moments, before letting out a quiet sigh, "We need to keep moving."

* * *

><p>Miranda did her best to stifle her frustration; each time she made to move through one set of doors, they would close, sealing her out, before another set would open, leading in a different direction than her destination. Each time she would attempt to use her Cerberus issued overrides, the panels would simply shut down, all but guaranteeing a solidly sealed lock on the doors.<p>

She knew she was being watched; the still-active cameras were a testament to that fact. But each time she rounded a corner, she would see motion out of the corner of her eyes, as though there was something hiding from her, staying just out of sight. The more of it she saw, the more she felt in her gut that she should just turn around, and try to link back up with Nick and Shepard, the consequences be damned.

Just as she began to turn around, a deep, booming voice resounded through the hall, seeming to echo through her mind. "**This is not your grave; but you are welcome in it.**"

A roaring sound shook her out of her stupor, and she pulled up her assault rifle, just as a series of vaguely humanoid shapes came out from the shadows, hurling themselves at her.

* * *

><p>As they neared the end of the hall, Nick couldn't help but notice that the door in front of them was much larger than all the other doors they had come across, and was much more secure, as if it were a vault or safe of some kind. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the Spectre give him an encouraging nod. Returning the gesture, he stepped up to the door, preparing to press the door activation key, when the door began to open of it's own accord. Collectively, they all took a step back, raising their guns. With a loud squealing noise, the gears spun from their positions, opening the wall of steel and titanium in front of them.<p>

As the door settled into place with a loud clunk, the group cautiously proceeded through the aperture, squinting to see through the pitch blackness obscuring the room from view. Before long, however, the lights shut off behind them, blinding everyone. Nick moved to activate his Omni-tool, when a series of red lights began to activate around him, whirring mechanical noises telling him that there was more than what was visible surounding both he and the squad.

A different light appeared directly in front of him; an orange light, maneuvering until it floated directly in front of him. The light narrowed, as though it were an eye, before a slightly mechanical voice could be heard, chuckling menacingly. The voice spoke, it's tenor causing Nick's blood to freeze at its familiarity. "_So, you're the one those peons kept referring to. Not quite as tall as I'd imagined. No matter; you're going to help me get out of here alive, if you want any chance of escaping yourselves_."

Shepard's voice rang out from behind Nick, who had frozen in fear. "Who are you? Show yourself!"

The voice began laughing again, before responding, mirthfully, "_As you wish._"

All at once. The lights flared to life, blinding them. As they all regained their senses, Geth platforms could be seen standing at attention around the perimeter of the circular room; each one appeared to have been modified, red irises replacing what had been their original white irises. Nick's attention, however, was focused on the central figure of the room. There, hanging from the ceiling, was a massively large piece of equipment, tapering down to a singular point at the bottom, which ended in an orange light.

Shepard opened her mouth to speak again, when she heard a panicked whisper leave Nick's mouth, "GLaDOS."

* * *

><p>AN: it's finally done! Thank you god! *weeps in joy*


	27. Chapter 27 Choosing Sides

A/N: This chapter wasn't quite as hard to write, now that I've got a little momentum going again. I'll admit, there were a couple of points writing this where I almost teared up, calling myself a heartless bastard. You'll understand once you read it. Just don't judge me _too _harshly, if you don't mind.

To those who are unaware, GLaDOS is the antagonist of the Portal series. The Gravemind is from Halo (does anyone actually not already know that?), and Tron is from... well, Tron. Duh.

Nanobot5770: Why thank you; I like people saying my story is crazy, as it probably means I'm doing something right. And I don't know about what other people think, but trying to do a SI where everything in the storyline remains static isn't realistic, not where the SI in question is thrown smack dab in the middle of things.

Bloodwolf432: yes, yes I am quite serious.

Dygen Entreri: You'd better clean that up then; it's not good to nerd all over the floor and not at least clean up after yourself.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 27

The AI turned its glowing eye towards Nick, focusing directly on him. "_Care to tell me how you know my name? Or do I get to torture it out of you?_"

Nick, seeming to overcome his momentary panic, narrowed his eyes, replying, "Dream on, tin can. I'm not some mute lab rat for you to screw with. I push back."

The AI seemed to regard him for a few moments, before it pulled away slightly, laughing. "_So you do have some spine; good. Those peons... sorry, _scientists_, had about as much backbone as a jellyfish. That's also why they're already dead._"

Shepard stepped forward, next to Nick. "Did you kill them?"

Mirthfully, GLaDOS responded, "_I wish I had; they probably do too, seeing what did happen to them_."

Art spoke up, his curiosity evident in his tone of voice, "So what happened to them?"

GLaDOS didn't respond at first, merely staring at them. When she finally did respond, all of them mirth and humor had left her voice. "_Some kind of parasite took them over. Looked quite painful, actually. The more people it took over, the smarter it seemed to get. I've been meaning to escape, but these handful of robots hasn't been enough to do more than defend this level from the horde of turned corpses. That, and as soon as I disconnect from the mainframe, the parasite will get past what I've sealed off, likely cutting off any escape; a bit of a catch twenty two, unfortunately_."

The AI paused, allowing Shepard to interject, "Let me guess, that's where we come in?"

GLaDOS responded almost immediately, "_Very good. Yes, that's exactly where you come in. The way you came in won't work, but there's a tunnel from the lower levels up to the surface which we can use. With your added firepower, and the fact you actually have a ship, we can get out of here_."

Brendan added in his thoughts, "Are you sure you guys really want to trust the single most homicidal AI in the history of video games with our lives? I don't know about you, but I don't really want to end up dead."

GLaDOS began to laugh. "_Oh, I like that one. He's smart. However, you have very little reason to worry about me, so long as we share a common enemy; and until the parasite is either wiped out or destroys us all, we _have _a common enemy. Besides, I can show you things that this facilities' former proprietors were doing; things you might like to see._"

Shepard turned to Nick, "Should we trust it?"

Nick looked up at the AI, stepping forward until he was mere inches from GLaDOS's eye. The AI met his gaze unwaveringly, staring right back at him. Finally, he nodded, letting out a sigh. "Yeah, we'll trust her... for now."

Without warning, GLaDOS pulled away, mechanical arms coming out of the floor, and began to disengage the AI from the computer system. They all watched, fascinated, as GLaDOS was installed into a seemingly dead Geth chassis, before it came to life, it's orange eye rotating rapidly as the AI adjusted to the new interface. A moment later, GLaDOS gestured towards the far door, now glowing with a green access panel. "_Lead the way_."

Before anyone could move for the door, Wrex stepped up next to GLaDOS, and asked, "What exactly is this parasite you keep talking about?"

The AI regarded the Krogan for a moment, before speaking, "_You'll get to see for yourself soon enough_."

* * *

><p>Joker let out a sigh, before turning towards the AI's pedestal, "Are you sure you haven't seen any transmissions from the surface? We should have heard <em>something <em>by now."

EDI quickly responded, "_They have not attempted to make contact with the ship yet. However, I have been monitoring them through the quantum entanglement device in Nicholas's Omni-tool; they have come into contact with an AI, and are moving further into the facility. However, I have discovered they are being followed by some other life form_."

Joker shot the AI a skeptical look. "What kind of life form?"

"_I am uncertain._" One of the consoles began to beep, and EDI continued, "_I am picking up motion; it appears the shuttle has been hijacked by the same life forms following the ground team. They have overridden the controls, and are rapidly moving away from the planet._"

The pilot began to manipulate the various controls, attempting to connect to the shuttle's systems. "EDI, I can't connect to the shuttle's override controls; can you retake control of that thing?"

The AI was quiet for a few moments, and Joker sat there, watching the shuttle rapidly move away from the planet. Finally, he got his response, "_I am afraid I am unable to stop the shuttle. It would seem that whoever is aboard has hardwired the controls, locking us out of their systems._"

Joker watched, near helplessly, as the shuttle jumped to FTL speeds. Before he could do anything, however, his comm. unit crackled to life. "Normandy to the Black Pearl; hang tight, Joker, we'll go catch your errant shuttle. You just keep Chakwas with you, and we'll come back for her later."

Hitting the channel button, he responded, "Thanks, Pressley. Black Pearl out." He watched as the Normandy quickly spun around, jumping to FTL after the shuttle.

* * *

><p>Nick paused as his Omni-tool sprang to life, and EDI's voice sounded out. "<em>Nicholas, something hijacked the shuttle craft from the surface and took it off the planet. The Normandy left to pursue it. We will update you further once we know more.<em>"

Just as quickly, the device shut down, leaving Nick to simply stare at his arm. Ashley furrowed her brow, speaking up, "So how are we supposed to get off the planet if our shuttle's been stolen? How the hell did it even get stolen in the first place?"

GLaDOS spoke up, "_The parasite likely took it. If the shuttle made it past your ships, then it will likely be gone before either of your ships can catch it._"

Art spoke up, suspicious lacing his voice, "I thought you said the parasite was sealed up from most of the facility; how could it have gotten to our shuttle so quickly?"

The AI only spared him a glance, before shrugging, not breaking stride. "_It must have known the shuttle was there and made for the shuttle as soon as I disconnected from the system._"

Nick turned as he felt a hand tap his shoulder. Turning, he saw Brendan gesture to him to slow down a little. The two of them fell back behind the group, leaving space for them to talk privately. Brendan spoke, "I think GLaDOS is lying to us, Nick."

Glancing over, Nick responded, "Any particular reason, aside from the fact she's a homicidal AI?"

He nodded, "Yeah, actually. I think it's all a little too convenient if you ask me. First off; this 'parasite' has yet to show itself to us, and as soon as GLaDOS disconnects from the system, our shuttle gets stolen. There's too much for it to be coincidence."

Nick eventually nodded, "You're probably right. But until we know more, there isn't much we can do."

With that, the two of them caught up with the rest of the group, Liara shooting Nick a worried glance. He just shook his head, attempting to assuage her concerns. The AI spoke up from the front, gathering their attention. "_Now comes the part I wanted to show you; what Cerberus has been up to in this facility._" GLaDOS chuckled lowly for a moment, before speaking in a much quieter, lower voice, "_I hope none of you have weak stomachs._"

With that, the Geth-inhabited AI activated the door, sliding open to reveal a long, straight hallway. Slowly, the group moved into the room, guns held in hand, as they observed the area. Wrex was quick to point out the most obvious feature through the numerous windows on either side of the hall. "Those are children's beds, tin can."

GLaDOS began to chuckle again, "_Just wait; you haven't even seen the good part yet_."

After passing three or so sets of windows, they began to notice the windows had been smashed out, the beds and furniture within the rooms having been tossed about, some broken into pieces. The more he saw, the worse Nick's gut tightened, his instincts practically screaming at him to run away, to get as far from the facility as possible.

As they reached the end of the hallway, the group began to pass through the door, when a very soft sound caught Nick's attention. He stopped, and turning around, began to look into the vacant rooms, one by one. Stepping in front of the forth set of rooms from the door, he heard a light gasp, and saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw what looked to be a child huddling in the far corner, attempting to hide behind one of the bed frames.

Nick quickly put his gun away, retracted his helmet, and slowly moved closer. "Hey, it's ok; I'm not here to hurt you." A small blue head popped out from behind the mattress, revealing a set of crystal blue eyes, rimmed a much darker blue from crying. Nick felt his heart nearly break at the sight. "It's ok, sweetheart, we're here to help."

"Hey Nick, what're you- whoa!" Nick glanced over his shoulder, only to see Art standing there, wide-eyed at the sight. He gestured for him to stay back, before continuing closer to the girl.

As he came to the mattress, the small Asari girl pressed herself against the wall, trying to stay away from him. "Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you. My name's Nick."

He stood there, patiently waiting, while the little girl stared at him. Finally, she spoke, her voice quiet and hoarse, "M-my name is Nyreena."

Nick smiled wide, crouching down so he could rest his chin on the mattress. "Nyreena, that's a really pretty name." The little girl blushed, looking towards the ground. Taking a chance, he slowly moved around the mattress, until he was close enough to kneel down in front of the young Asari. Thinking quickly, he pulled out an energy bar. "Here, have something to eat."

Nyreena stared at the snack bar for a few moments, debating, before her hand darted out, snatching it out of his hand. Nick simply sat there as she practically inhaled the energy bar. The smile faded from his face as he asked, "Nyreena, where is everyone else? Are your parents here?"

The girl's face fell, her eyes dropping to the floor, as she spoke, "The bad men took my mommy away a long time ago. They would take the other kids too, one by one. Then the monsters came, and killed the bad men. They took the other kids and made them into monsters, too. I hid so the monsters wouldn't find me." As fresh tears began to fall from her eyes, Nick reached out, pulling the little girl towards him, embracing her. Sobs wracked her tiny body. "I just want my mommy back."

Nick let the girl cry for a few minutes, feeling her tears run down his neck into his hardsuit, before he quietly picked the girl up, letting her continue to cry into his shoulder. No one spoke as they moved further into the facility, now plus one member.

* * *

><p>Matriarch Aethyta grumbled to herself as she stepped out from Eternity Lounge, her shift having just ended. She looked around, barely refraining from rolling her eyes at Illium's façade; the shine, the hyped-up posh exteriors. She knew as well as anyone that it only fooled the naíve and stupid, and anyone with half a brain could tell Illium was just a shiny version of Omega.<p>

Omega; the name gave the matriarch pause as she walked towards the taxi stand. She had heard on the news that some strange ship had torn Omega to pieces, leaving the cesspool to bleed and die in the cold vacuum of space. She shook her head, trying to clear out her thoughts, when a loud explosion of some kind caught her attention.

Looking to the sky, she realized it wasn't an explosion, but a shuttle of some sort breaking the sound barrier as it entered the atmosphere above her. Watching it, she furrowed her brow, seeing its erratic flight pattern, lazily drifting back and forth. Her confusion quickly turned to shock as the shuttle dived, narrowly missing vehicles in no less than three lanes of traffic, before slamming into one of the skyscrapers off in the distance.

Standing frozen in her tracks, Aethyta couldn't help but notice the sinking pit of worry forming in her gut.

* * *

><p>Nick tried not to roll his eyes as Ashley walked next to him, a large grin visible on her face. "So Nick... you seem pretty good with kids."<p>

He glanced over at her, shifting Nyreena in his arms as her grip tightened slightly around his neck. "Ash, I had five older sisters and sixteen nieces and nephews back home; you try having that big a family and _not_ be good with kids."

He would have laughed at the look of shock on her face if Nyreena hadn't have spoken right then. "Why does the Krogan have so many scars?"

Nick spun slightly, smiling at the look of incredulity on Wrex's face. "His name's Wrex, sweetie, and he has so many scars because he's really really old, and he's fought in a whole bunch of battles."

Nyreena began to giggle, much to Wrex's chagrin, her eyes bright, as she pointed towards the Krogan's face. "Where'd you get that scar?"

Wrex just stared at the girl for a moment, before grinning. "This scar is from fighting a pack of Varren; the alpha male was the only one that got close enough to scratch me, but he managed to get me good. Thing is, I got him even _worse_."

Her eyes grew wide, and she pointed again, "What about _that _one?"

Nick shared a look with Ashley, as the young Asari continued to interrogate the Krogan ten times her size. Shepard moved to walk next to Nick, and immediately began to speak, "You know we're putting her at risk by bringing her with us."

Nick shot the Spectre with a glare. "You think she'd be any safer if we would have left her there? Alone, unarmed, and scared to death? You heard what she said; the parasite, whatever the hell it actually is, took over all the rest of the children. Knowing this is some kind of Cerberus experiment is reason enough to protect her from whatever is in here."

Shepard regarded him for a moment, before nodding, "I had a feeling you'd say that."

Nick raised an eyebrow at her, "Am I getting predictable or something?"

The Spectre nodded, "Yes you are. But that's probably a good thing; it means you're still sticking with your morals." Nick almost stopped in his tracks, practically dumbfounded, as Shepard continued walking, moving back towards the front of the group.

GLaDOS spoke up from the front as they neared an abnormally large door. "_Through here_."

Brendan spoke up, suspicious lacing his voice. "What's in there?"

The AI turned and regarded him for a moment, before answering, somewhat cryptically, "_The answers to your questions._"

The door opened, but it appeared as though the lights were off, the entire room bathed in darkness. Shepard and Ashley took point, activating the flashlights on their rifles, and slowly began to walk into the darkness. The rest of the group followed, Nick noticing Nyreena's grip tightening on his neck, her body beginning to shake in fear.

As the last person passed through the door, the mechanisms within began to whir, and the door slid closed, cutting off what light they had, aside from their flashlights. Moments later, the lights in the room snapped to life, blinding everyone in the room. Nick blinked rapidly, attempting to clear his vision, when a deep, resonating voice began to chuckle, the familiarity of it causing the blood to drain from his voice.

Nick spin towards the sound, eyes wide, whispering, "Gravemind."

The massive abomination that was the culmination of a copious amount of converted biomass, the controlling force behind the parasite, responded, it's voice nearly felt as much as it was heard. "So you know me; fascinating."

Nick barely registered as GLaDOS and her drones moved past them, onto flanking sides of the flood creature in front of them. Brendan spoke up, his voice barely audible. "I knew we couldn't trust that damn AI."

GLaDOS seemed to bristle at the remark. "_I am not your enemy, cretin. However, knowing what I do about this universe and the coming Reapers, I chose a side._"

Shepard asked, "What are you talking about? Choosing sides?"

"_The Flood will grow and expand, becoming a force strong enough to fight against the Reapers. It my even destroy them. So it becomes a choice; help the Reapers, or help the Flood. The Gravemind has already promised me a planet all to myself, purely for science, filled with test subjects. The Reapers would rather turn me into so much scrap metal_."

The Gravemind interjected at that point, lowering itself down to come closer towards Nick. "And so too must you choose, fleshling. For I know of you, and your coming into being for this universe."

Nick stood tall, if for no other reason than to stand strong for Nyreena. "How do you know about me?"

The Gravemind began to laugh again, this time almost uproariously. "My, my, you truly do not know? Your presence here is the _only _reason that I am here. For if you had not bridged the gap between realities, Cerberus would have had no reason to experiment with the fabric of the time/space continuum."

GLaDOS elaborated, mirthfully, "_Congratulations, Nick; you're to blame for the rise of the Flood in this reality._"

Shepard asked, forcefully, "What was Cerberus doing here?"

GLaDOS answered the Spectre, "Simple; they were toying with powers beyond their grasp. There is a machine that causes a weakness in the fabric of the universe. They exploited this weakness to brute force their way into other realities, during which they dragged both myself and the Flood here."

Wrex stepped up before Shepard could ask anything else, "What were they doing to the children, tin can?"

The AI stared at the seemingly upset Krogan for a few moments, before responding in a more subdued tone. "They used them as test subjects with the Flood, as well as other... experiments."

Nick tore his gaze from the Gravemind to look at GLaDOS, "So you're telling me they forced innocent children to become infected by the Flood, to have their bodies disfigured and their minds ripped apart?"

Scarsely before Nick finished, the Gravemind seemed to rise higher, as though in anger, and practically roared, "**I did not destroy their minds, you miserable insect! I may be a monster by nature, but I am not a monster by choice! Their passing was as peaceful as if they had gone to sleep and never awoken!**" With that, it seemed to calm down, lowering itself back towards its more neutral position.

After a few moments of stunned silence, Art asked, "So, uh... did you steal our shuttle?"

The Gravemind turned slightly, regarding Art, before nodding. "Yes."

His brow furrowed, he asked, "Why?"

"To escape this world, and spread my tendrils across the stars."

Shepard stepped forward, "Where? Where did you go?"

The Gravemind pulled back as it spoke, "The world you call Illium." The Flood creature let out a humming noise at the sight of Nick's paling face. "You worry for a few particular individuals, do you not? Be not afraid; those whom you seek will not be harmed. I will even allow you passage to your ship to save them. However, there is a matter of significance you must deal with first: what to do with _this _one."

From behind the Gravemind, a number of tentacles pull a restrained form out, the light revealing it to be Miranda Lawson, bound and gagged. The Flood creature deposited the woman at Nick's feet, releasing her. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear. He quickly handed Nyreena off to Liara, before reaching down, and pulling the gag from her mouth.

He spoke to her, then, "I never knew Cerberus could stoop to such a level of monstrosity. This kind of demented experimentation makes me sick. Cerberus has made an enemy of me, as far as I am concerned. You, however, have a choice to make, Lawson. What would you say if I were to tell you that I would let you live, but the cost would be the life of your sister to the hands of the Flood? Or, by the inverse, you could save your sister's life by giving yourself to the Gravemind, willingly?"

Miranda slowly, gingerly stood up, looking over her shoulder at the Flood, before her eyes fell to the floor, deep in thought. After a few moments, she closed her eyes, a pained expression crossing her features, "Take me; let my sister live. She doesn't deserve to die for me."

Nick regarded her for a few moments, before placing a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump, her eyes meeting his. "Now I have proof that you are a decent human being beneath that icy façade. You'll live, and you'll get to be with your sister, if you agree to break from Cerberus." He quickly noticed the conflicted look on her face, and elaborated, "Miranda, Cerberus can't protect Oriana anymore; we can. Do it for her, if not for yourself."

After what felt like hours, Miranda finally nodded, tears streaming down her face. Giving her a pat on the shoulder, Nick stepped around the operative, and spoke to the Gravemind, "Now what?"

It didn't respond, but began to seemingly dissolve, coming apart into much smaller pure Flood forms, all moving to the sides of the room. When the last Flood form had moved, they all noticed a door on the far side of the room, where the Gravemind had been before. Without any further words, the group quickly moved towards and through the door. They ran through the short hallway, quickly reaching the opposite door.

As they stepped through, they all stopped, marveling at the sight before them; a massive ice formation, partially carved open, with what appeared to be a twenty first century cargo ship frozen in the ice, the name Borealis painted on the side. Art turned to Nick, "So... any idea what's up with that?"

Nick nodded, "Yeah, actually. It's a ship from the Portal universe, where GLaDOS comes from. It mysteriously vanished from its docking berth, likely due to some experimental technology dealing with portals. I never would have guessed it was a portal generator that would traverse through the fabric of time and space..."

Shepard cut him off, "It doesn't matter; how do we get out of here?"

Ashley called out, "Over there! A Mako!"

The group quickly jogged over to the vehicle, and piled in. Noticing Nyreena shivering in Liara's arms, Nick pulled out an emergency blanket from the cargo net of the Mako, wrapping it around the young Asari. His attention was pulled from the girl, however, as Miranda asked, "Is that the machine from the ship? The portal one you were referring to?"

Looking down at the device, Nick just shrugged, "I have no idea. The games never actually showed the damn thing." He paused, noticing another container, "However, this is _definitely _a portal gun!"

Shepard called back from the cockpit, "Ogle the toys later, Nick; we need to get out of here!"

Without any further conversations, everyone strapped in. Shepard spun the Mako around, and hit the throttle towards the open shaft on the far side of the chamber. Brendan called up towards Shepard, "Hey, you sure this tunnel goes to the surface?"

"That's what the LADAR shows, kid! Now hang on!"

Moments later, the light tank rocketed out of the tunnel, freefall settling in on the vehicle. Nick couldn't help but smile as Nyreena began to squeal at the strange sensation. Moments later, the wheels impacted on the snow, the Mako whipping back and forth as the Spectre worked to regain control.

Once the Mako leveled out, Art called up, "Why are we in such a hurry?"

Shepard yelled back, "Because I don't trust that overgrown weed! For all we know, the damn thing could just be toying with us for its own amusement! Even if that thing was telling the truth, we need to get to Illium and stop it before it spreads any further!"

While they continued to yell back and forth, Nick brought up his Omni-tool, "EDI, we're topside in a Mako; we need pickup."

"_We spotted you as soon as you exited the shaft. We shall be there momentarily._"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the roar of the Black Pearl's engines screamed above the Mako, momentarily drowning out the sound of the tank's engine. A few seconds later, Shepard called out, "Hang on everyone, we're about to jump!"

The next thing they knew, the jump jets on the underside of the Mako flared to life, leaving everyone's stomachs behind on the surface as they rocketed into the air. The sensation only lasted a few seconds, as they landed in the hangar bay of the Pearl. With a cough and a sputter, the Mako's engine was shut down, leaving the group to sit there, breathing heavily. Wrex was the first to break the silence, letting out a single bark of laughter.

One by one, they all began to remove their harnesses. As Nick removed his, he noticed Nyreena sitting stone still, not moving. Almost as quickly as he began to be concerned, Liara picked up on his thoughts, and she gently removed the young girl's restraints. As soon as she was freed from the seat, Nyreena shot across the Mako, wrapping her arms around Nick's neck, the force pushing him back into the seat.

Nick gingerly stood up, wrapping his arms around the girl, as he slowly maneuvered out of the Mako. Doctor Chakwas was standing just off to the side, and immediately came to his side as she saw the little girl. She gave Nyreena an almost grandmotherly smile, "Hello, sweetheart; how are you feeling?"

She tiredly rubbed her eyes, leaning her head on Nick's shoulder. "I'm tired and hungry."

The doctor gently began rubbing her fingertips on Nyreena's back in small circles. "Does anything hurt? Are you in any pain?"

At first, she shook her head, but after a few moments, she began to sniffle, tears beginning to form. She buried her head into the crook of Nick's neck, muffling her words as she spoke. "I don't have a mommy anymore."

Nick gently began rocking the girl as she cried, slowly walking towards the elevator with the doctor. She continued to cry as the elevator rose, and as they walked towards the med-bay. Passing the mess hall, Nick saw Aria sitting with her surviving guards, all having fallen silent as they heard the sobs. The three men all gave him a respectful nod, not saying anything as they passed.

Entering the med-bay, Nick sat down on one of the beds, holding Nyreena as her sobs subsided, turning into gentle hiccups, until even those shifted into a gentle snore. Carefully, he slowly laid the girl down onto the bed, somehow managing to keep her from waking as he stepped away. Moving to the far side of the med-bay, he spoke to the doctor, "I'm going to have Liara stay in here with her, in case she wakes up early."

Chakwas's brow furrowed, "Are you planning on going somewhere?"

He grimaced, before nodding, "In a manner of speaking. It shouldn't take too long, but if it does, I want someone to be here for her that she's already familiar with."

The doctor nodded. "I'll run some preliminary tests while she's asleep." Noting the concerned look on his face, she quickly added, "Nothing invasive. Just a few scans to ensure nothing was done to her."

He nodded, letting out a sigh. "This whole situation has just been one giant clusterfuck."

The doctor shook her head, "While I wouldn't use such colorful language to describe the situation, your assessment many not be far from accurate." After a moment, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You've done well, considering the circumstances, Nicholas. You should be happy you were able to save her."

With a sigh, Nick turned and looked at the sleeping child. "How many did we lose, though? How many could have been saved if we would've known?"

* * *

><p>Ian watched as a pair of Geth platforms assembled the replicated laser array, before glancing over at the other human in the room. "You know, I'm fully aware we've still got a couple of hours before we hit Illium, but somehow, I don't think atomizing yourself into a computer chip is a great way to kill time, Nick."<p>

He simply shrugged, answering, "This computer chip may hold technologies that can help us, Ian. Weapons and advancements we could use to fight both the Flood and the Reapers. Hell, we could create entire armies and fleets of ships out of straight computer programs! Wouldn't that be worth the risk?"

Ian shrugged, "That's not my call, Nick. I just know I'd think long and hard about what I was doing if it were me, especially knowing what I stood to lose if I fucked things up enough."

Nick nodded, taking the advice, before letting out a breath. He turned and looked over, "Mordin, make sure you analyze all the readings you can from the scans EDI took from Noveria, and see if you can't figure out what the massive paper weight from the Mako actually is, and if it's any danger to the ship or the crew."

The Salarian nodded, fiddling with his Omni-tool and the laser array as he did, "Yes, yes, will find out what I can. Do try to return in one piece, yes? Would be preferable; could provide for future experiments. Utterly fascinating technology."

"Yes, Mordin; now if you don't mind-"

Before he could say anything, the door slid open, admitting Brendan and Art, decked out in their armor. Brendan spoke, "Liara told us what you were doing." Seeing the look on Nick's face, he smirked, "Guess you can't keep any secrets when your girlfriend can read your mind from across the ship, eh?"

Art spoke up, "We're going in with you, Nick. No way are you going to take on the world of Tron by yourself. After all, I know I'm not getting saddled with command if you don't come back."

Looking between the two of them, Nick just shook his head, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Alright, then. Ian, is it ready?"

He looked to the Geth and Mordin, who all nodded, before turning and responding, "It's ready, Nick."

He closed his eyes, hearing Art and Brendan move to either side of him, before nodding, opening his eyes.

"Hit it."

* * *

><p>AN: bum, bum bum, bum _bummmm_! Tron! Yeah, I know I'm a nerd.


	28. Chapter 28 Penance

A/N: it's finally here. FYI: breaking up with a girlfriend of four years is not fun, nor is it good for a persons nerves.

Also, I realize there's some concern of this turning into a Halo rewrite. Trust me, that is absolutely not the case. Things will happen regarding the flood that may totally blow your minds. *evil laugh*

* * *

><p>Into the Fire v2<p>

Chapter 28

"Hit it."

Before Nick knew what was happening, he found himself enveloped in a bright light, blocking out everything else. It was gone in an instant, leaving him standing in what appeared to be a basement of some kind. He just rolled his eyes as he heard both Brendan and Art muttering behind him.

Spinning around, he hear Brendan ask, "Why exactly are we here, again?"

Nick spoke as he walked towards the exit, "For one, we need their technology. The second and more important thing is to take over the Grid, so we can use it to evac survivors of the at least, that's what I was thinking."

Art interjected, "hold up; we're going to put people in the Grid? Just like that?"

Nick stopped, and turned around, looking at the two of them. "Yes, we are. Think about it, where else is safe from both the Flood and the Reapers for the short term? Granted, we'll need a better long term solution, but this will get people away from the Flood right now, which is what we need right away."

Nick spun and continued out through the digital recreation of Flynn's Arcade, as Brendan asked another question, "So, how are we going to take over the Grid?"

"Simple; shoot CLU."

Art furrowed his brow, "Who's CLU?"

"He's the program that controls the Grid. We kill him, we take over, end of story."

Art muttered under his breath, "Ten credits says it gets more complicated than that."

Nick smirked as he stuck his head out the door, checking the immediate vicinity. "I heard your external mics; we run silent from here on out until we hit enemy contacts."

Brendan nudged Nick's shoulder, "Who counts as enemy contacts?"

His smirk growing into a smile, Nick replied, "Anyone glowing orange."

With that, the group fell quiet, exiting the building. Nick noticed the rather dark aura surrounding them, the buildings rising into the sky, as the three of them slowly slid along the walls, trying to avoid detection. Luck, however, was not on their side. They made it about thirty feet when a group of three foot soldiers rounded the corner, looking straight at them. They immediately activated their data disks, the edges glowing an ominous orange. Before the first one could throw their disk, Nick fired off a shot, hitting the lead program directly in the shoulder, causing its arm to derezz.

All three programs stopped, confused, as the other two opened fire, cutting the programs down into their constituent bytes. Grimacing, Nick spoke through his comm. unit, "Well, so much for stealth."

Art pinged his comm. unit, "So what the hell was that?"

Nick answered as they walked, "The 'people' in the Grid are actually individual programs; when they die, they derezz, which is the verb of deresolution, more or less. Thats what happens when they disintegrate into hundreds of tiny little pieces, anyway. We, however, still bleed and die if we get hit somewhere vital by their data disks."

"Their what disks?"

"Data disks; essentially, their link to the hard drive. Which we need, by the way."

Brendan interrupted, "Wait, why do we need our own data disks?"

Nick shrugged, "Well, this is just a theory of mine, but I figure that until we get data disks of our own, we're just data on the RAM, so if the Grid were to lose power, we'll... uh, cease to exist."

Nick was suddenly spun around, looking right into Art's visor, "And you didn't think it important to tell us that? Jesus Christ on a pikestaff..."

Nick shook Art's hand loose, "Well I had originally planned on coming in here by myself, so no, I wasn't going to share that with anyone. The last thing I needed was someone trying to stop me from coming in here."

Brendan stepped between the two others, "Lets calm down guys; going at each other's throats won't help. Nick, how can we get data disks of our own?"

Nick thought for a moment, before snapping his fingers, "I've got it; we get to the arena where they hold the Games. We get in, get disks, then fight our way out."

Art's head shot around to look at him again, "Just fight our way out? Is that really the bestyou've got? Fuck me, we're going to die in here..."

A mechanical whirring noise interrupted their argument, the noise causing Nick to smile beneath his visor. "I think I figured out how to get there. You two stay in the shadows."

Without waiting for their response, Nick stepped out into the middle of the road, just as a large Recognizer veered around the corner of a building, its spotlight landing on him. The black and orange vehicle slowed, its two horizontal prongs seeming to overshadow the entire area, before descending down directly in front of him. As the central platform dropped down, Nick couldn'thelp but smirk as two program guards stepped out, moving towards him with their data staffs at the ready.

As they neared, Nick activated his Omni-blade, a gift from EDI that he had yet to use untilnow, swinging it at the first program. The blade sliced through both the staff, and the program's head, immediately derezzing it. The second program pulled away, out of melee range. Nick just smirked, pulling out his pistol and shooting the program in the chest. As it fell, he swung the pistol up, shooting three rounds into the program piloting the Recognizer, rendering the aerial transport grounded.

Waving the other two over, Nick ignored the incredulous looks from the currently imprisoned programs still trapped inside the Recognizer, as he haphazardly climbed up the side of the vehicle, until he managed to make it to the cockpit. Brendan's voice rang through his helmet as he examined the controls, "How does it look up there? You think you can figure it out?"

Glancing over the controls, he shrugged, "Sure; should be a piece of cake. Just make sure you strap in."

He nearly laughed as he heard Art's reply, "I have a bad feeling about this..."

Shaking his head, he keyed his comm. unit, "Relax Art; you'll live longer if you aren't sostressed all the time."

After examining the controls for a minute or two, Nick shrugged, and grabbed what appeared to be a joystick. Looking at some of the various buttons, he tested what he thought was a throttle, and spun it one direction. The Recognizer immediately went down, smashing into the ground with a jarring thud. Art practically yelled into the comm. unit. "Nick, what the flying fuck are you doing up there?"

He grinned sheepishly to himself, before answering, "Sorry, sorry; these controls aren't exactly labelled..."

Slowly spinning the wheel in the other direction, the Recognizer began to lift, quickly gaining altitude. Pushing the throttle, the vehicle shot forward, moving between the buildings.

* * *

><p>Ian stepped into the comm. room, glancing at the hologram floating in the center of the room."EDI, why did you call me up here?"<p>

EDI responded almost immediately, "Nicholas, Legion and I went over a number of ship designs to begin working on constructing to combat the Reapers. However, with the new threat of the Flood, we will have to alter our original plans. As Nick is currently indisposed, I felt it necessary to ask for another opinion on the matter."

Shrugging, Ian spoke up, "Sure; what did you need to ask?"

A number of holograms appeared over the central table. "These were the designs we hadworked out previous; however, most are no longer feasible. Nicholas expressed a personal preference to these designs." Three ships enlarged, blocking out the rest. "They are ship designs taken from a game called Homeworld two; the Hiigaran Battlecruiser, Destroyer, and Carrier."

Ian nodded, shifting around the table to get a better look at the designs. "Yeah, these look pretty good; any reason Nick liked these better than any others?"

"He seemed to prefer their modular nature for better variability in missions."

After a few moments, Ian nodded once in affirmation. "Good choices, then. Are these for a fleet?"

EDI didn't respond immediately. "Unfortunately, no. We have neither the time, nor resources to build more than a handful of ships. Specifically, only a dozen or so, depending on the final choice of ships."

Ian's jaw dropped. "T-twelve ships? What good are twelve ships going to be against thousands of Reapers? Or the Flood?"

EDI's response was cool and collected. "Mathematically, none. However, it is the best we can do, with the time and resources available. We have no other options."

Ian stared at the display, desperation tugging at his mind, before he shook his head rapidly, trying to sort out his thoughts. "If that's really the case... how many Battlecruisers can we make?"

"For the maximum number of ships, I would advise only building one Battlecruiser. Otherwise we will be unable to build more of the smaller ships."

After a few moments, Ian's shoulders sagged, and he simply replied, "EDI, just build the more I ask, the more I find I'm regretting asking."

The AI's response was somewhat muted as he turned and walked out of the comm. room, "As you wish."

* * *

><p>Nick smiled as the game arena came into sight, and he gingerly lowered the Recognizer closer to the ground to avoid suspicion. He glanced around, making sure he didn't see any otherRecognizers flying in the area. Satisfied, he came to a stop in front of what looked to be the entrance elevator for the lower levels of the arena, lowering the vehicle to the ground. He smirked as he noticed two guards standing there, both seeming to be suspicious at this lone Recognizer.<p>

Once the vehicle was parked, and the platform lowered closer to the ground, Nick spoke into his mic, "Ok guys, take out those guards."

Art's voice sounded out in his helmet, sarcasm laced through his voice, "Won't the gunfire be heard in that arena thing?"

Frowning, Nick replied, "Yeah, you're right; guess I didn't think of that. Hold tight, and I'll deal with them."

Without waiting for a reply, Nick jumped out of the control level of the Recognizer, landing in a crouch off the ten foot drop. Looking up, he noticed the programs back up slightly at the look of his Death Mask. Without waiting for them to act, Nick immediately raised his hands, lifting the two programs in the air with his biotics, before slamming them against the ground, both of them immediately derezzing from the force of the impact.

Letting out a shaky breath from the biotic exhertion, he almost didn't notice the other two coming up behind him. Brendan slapped him on the back lightly, "Nice job, Nick. I didn't knowyou'd mastered that much control over your biotics."

Nick shook his head, "That wasn't much by way of control. Grabbing something to throw around is easy; trying to do something like form a barrier or launch a shockwave, now thattakes skill."

Art just brushed past them both. "Are we going to get moving, or what?"

Nick furrowed his brow, "Is something up, Art?"

He stopped, glancing over his shoulder, before shrugging, continuing towards the elevatorplatform. "Just want to get out of here, is all."

Glancing over, Nick saw Brendan shrug his own shoulders, neither of them knowing what to make of things. Without further comment, the three of them made it to the elevator, whichimmediately began to lower down through the ground into the lower levels. As soon as it stopped, Nick smirked, seeing the four programs in the four corners of the room, each within a storage slot built into the walls.

The programs exited the pods, entering the light, only to all stop in surprise at the sight of the three of them. It didn't pass any of their attention that the four programs were all female, wearing skin tight outfits of white. Nick turned to the program he recognized, blonde hair and seemingly white eyes, speaking to her, "Sorry to bother you; we need data disks. You wouldn'thappen to have any lying around, would you?"

The program he was staring at responded, "Identify yourselves, programs."

Still smirking beneath his helmet, Nick turned more fully towards her. "We are not programs; we are users. Now, we need data disks, so either you help us, or we derezz the four of you and find them ourselves. It's your call."

The four female programs all glanced at each other, before the blonde leader nodded, moving over to a pedestal. Pressing a button, a shelf lit up, displaying a series of round data disks, each one completely dark. Two of the other programs moved forward, and the three of them picked up a data disk.

Spinning, the three programs moved in front of each of the men standing there. Hesitantly, they extended the disks to them. Each of them reached out, grasping the disk in their hands. After a moment, Brendan spoke up, his voice sounding aloud, rather than through the mic, "Uh... Now what do we do?"

Furrowing his brow in confusion, nick examined the disk, moving it from hand to warning, his Omni-tool sprang to life, the disk moving out of his hand and floating above his palm of its own accord. He glanced over his shoulders at the others for a moment, before shrugging. "I guess... this?"

Art and Brendan quickly did the same, turning their own Omni-tools on, and releasing the disks above them. Almost immediately, their disks began to sync, their eyes flashing a light blue color, visible through the visors in their helmets. Confused, Nick looked at his disk, seeing that it didn't seem to be syncing. Experimentally, he gave it a slight poke.

The last thing Nick would recall would a bright flash of light, followed by blinding pain.

* * *

><p>Doctor Chakwas was working at her desk, cataloging the medical supplies within the med-bay, when she heard Liara let out a gasp. She looked up from the terminal in time to see the Asariclutch at her head, her eyes wide and completely black, before she fell to the ground, over, she began examining the girl.<p>

A moment later, the door slid open, Solana and Garrus rushing in. Garrus spoke first, "Doctor, what happened?"

She shook her head, "I don't know; one moment everything was fine, the next she's gasping in pain, holding her head. Her eyes were black, and she passed out. Here, help me move her onto the bed."

The two Turians gently lifted the Asari, placing her on the medical bed. Chakwas pulled up her Omni-tool, scanning Liara, trying to discover the cause.

Solana's mandibles quivered in anticipation. "Well doctor? Is she well?"

Seemingly baffled, the doctor looked up at the two Turians, "I don't know. Physically there isnothing wrong, aside from a slightly elevated heart rate. But her brainwaves are completely off the charts. I don't even know what to compare it to, it's so foreign."

Garrus glanced down at Liara, "What can we do?"

With a sigh, the doctor closed her Omni-tool, "Wait, and pray."

* * *

><p>Brendan nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Nick begin to scream. His head spun, looking at him, only for his jaw to drop at the sight; Nick was floating in the air, his Omni-toolflashing erratically. Glancing at the data disk, his eyes widened further. The disk appeared to be going through multiple loading cycles; each time the lights on the disc completed one circle around, it began again, cycling around in a different color.<p>

After what felt like an eternity, the screaming stopped, as did the flashing lights. Nick dropped to the floor, landing in a crouch. Brendan noticed his armor beginning to light up, a purple color spreading along the lights and lines of his armor. Before either he or Art could move closer, his Death Mask began retracting, sliding into the recess of his armor's collar. Slowly, Nick stood up, the room quiet enough to hear his armor creaking. As he spun around, Brendan found his jaw dropping again, looking at Nick's eyes; they were completely orange.

"Nick?"

His orange eyes locked onto Brendan. "He is here; within our mind."

Brendan shared a look with Art, before answering, "Uh, care to elaborate, Nick?"

A slight smirk graced his features as he spoke, "Nicholas is but once voice of many; we are the collective, the souls trapped within, rescued from the Demon of the Night Wind." He gestured to the disk still hovering in the air above his hand, "This device allowed us to discover our true potential."

Art stepped forward, next to Brendan, "Then who are you?"

The half Prothean regarded him for a moment, before speaking, "We are Penance."

Brendan opened his mouth to speak, but Art spoke up first, "Why are the lights on your armor purple?"

Nick began to reply, when he closed his mouth, his brow furrowing in confusion. He glanceddown at his armor, examining it thoroughly, before he looked back up at them. "We do not know."

Before anyone could say anything else, Nick's Omni-tool lit up, and EDI's voice sounded out from it, "Nicholas, Liara has had some sort of mental episode; she passed out and is currently in the med-bay. Doctor Chakwas is unable to determine the cause. I believe it would be in her best interest for you to conclude your business on the Grid as quickly as possible. End message."

Nick's brow began to furrow, and he began clawing at his head, Penance fighting to retain control. Another scream left his throat, the sounds of other voices overlayed with Nick's own voice. Biotics began to swirl around his body in the struggle.

* * *

><p>Nick couldn't feel his own body; he could hear the other voices in his mind, each of them conversing, building a sort of consensus. For a fleeting moment, he remembered that this was similar to how the Geth would communicate. However, he became distracted as he listened to his own voice speaking, talking with Brendan and Art.<p>

He continued to try to push past the other voices, but no matter how hard he seemed to push, they completely overpowered him, remaining firmly in control of his body. After a few moments, he heard EDI's communication, and if he would've had control of his body, he would have fallen to his knees in shock.

With a renewed effort, he began pushing at the mental barriers holding him back. Fearing forLiara, he pushed even harder than he had thought possible, pouring all his strength into theeffort. As his energy began to drain, he felt the walls holding him in begin to weaken, and he renewed his effort, pushing harder.

With a rush, he found himself back in control of his body, and he gasped with relief, only for a wave of exhaustion to hit him, bringing him to his hands and knees.

Brendan watched as with a flash of biotic light, Nick finally fell to the ground, his eyes having returned to normal. Waiting a moment, he moved over to him, kneeling down to check on him."Nick, you ok?"

Looking up at him, he shook his head, "I don't think so, Brendan."

Art stepped over, standing above the two of them, "Care to explain what that was?"

Nick looked up at him for a moment, before answering, "I don't know. It's like all these voices in my head just rushed to the front of my mind, and took control of my body. I couldn't... Icouldn't even fight them off."

Art raised an eyebrow, "Well you obviously did, if you're actually the one in control now."

Brendan looked up to him, regarding him, "Is there something bothering you that you'd like to talk to us about, Art?"

Art regarded them both for a moment, before shaking his head, turning, and moving to walkaway. "No."

Nick sat up, leaning back on his outstretched arms. "What's gotten into him?"

Brendan just shook his head. "Not a clue." After a moment, he looked back at Nick, "By the way, your alter ego didn't seem to know the answer to this, but maybe you will; why is your armor lot up with purple lights instead of blue or green?"

Looking down at his armor for the first time, he tilted his head to one side in confusion. "Huh; would you look at that. No, I have no idea."

After a moment, Brendan smirked, "I guess this makes you the Mace Windu of the Grid."

Nick let out a groan of annoyance while Brendan just laughed. Before they could say anything else, however, the elevator began to whir, moving down from the higher levels. Spinning, Nickturned towards the four female programs standing there, "Who would that be coming down here?"

The program on the far side, with jet black hair, stepped forward. "That would be Clu."

With a raised brow, Nick asked, "Did you call for him?"

When the program nodded, Nick stood up, grimacing, before pulling out his pistol; in rapid succession, he shot three of the four programs, three piles of disassembled bytes collecting on the ground. He pointed the gun at the forth one, her eyes showing her fear quite clearly.

Nick spoke, quickly and quietly, "I know you work for Zeus; you're going to take us to him, now."

The program regarded the three users in front of her for a moment, before nodding, "This way."

The four of them moved towards the far side of the room, Nick lagging behind the rest, his muscles screaming in protest. Brendan looked over his shoulder, noticing this. "Nick, what'swrong?"

"I don't know; it's like all of my muscles are cramping up at the same time."

Hearing that, Brendan dropped back, stringing one arm around Nick. The group continued on, trying to put as much distance between them and Clu as possible.

As they ran, Art asked, "If our goal is to kill Clu, then why are we running from him?"

Nick answered, doing his best to keep his voice level, "I don't feel like taking on half of his elite guard all at once. Ideally, I'd like to shoot Clu from a distance, outside of disc throwing range. Best case scenario, we get rid of Clu, and manage to save Tron from his reprogrammed state."

Art spoke up from the front, coming to a halt as they exited the hallway out into the open, "Yeah... we've got other problems right now..."

Catching up, Nick swore under his breath, seeing a large number of programs standing there, weapons at the ready, with a pair of Recognizers behind them. Glancing arrecognize eyes widened as he realized he could see a few Black Guard programs standing there. However, he quickly gained a smile as he noticed something.

"Brendan, Art, those guys in full black? See those stick things on their arms?"

"Yeah; what about them?"

Nick smirked as he spoke, "Those are light jets; we could use them to get out of here in a hurry." Stepping away from Brendan, slightly shaky on his feet, Nick pulled out his assaultrifle. "Use your bigger guns; pistols won't be fast enough to deal with these kinds of numbers."

Art began muttering under his breath, but they both complied. The female program movedbehind them, likely taking cover from what she thought would be the demise of the warning, Nick began to walk forward, his assault rifle roaring as he shot off near microscopic rounds into the crowd of enemies, each program disintegrating into their constituent bytes as they derezzed.

The four Black Guard programs launched themselves into the air, jumping over the other programs as they were cut down, and moved in to attack in melee range. Nick spun to the left to take out the closest one, when a loud bang sounded out, the Guard disappearing in a flash of light. Glancing over, he smiled, seeing Art holding a shotgun, having taken down the first Black Guard.

As quickly as they could, they swept their guns over the enemy programs, taking down theremaining Black Guards first, then wiping out the others. The two Recognizers pulled away and left before they could shoot the pilots out from the controls. With a shrug, Nick holstered his gun, and moved to the corpse of the first Black Guard.

Sifting through the pile of bytes, he pulled out a pair of sticks. Turning, he spoke, "Loot those Black Guards and pull these out; one should be a light cycle, and the other should be a light jet. We'll probably need both of them before this is over. You too, uh..."

The program glanced at him, "Gem; my name is Gem."

Nodding, he continued, "You too Gem. Unless you'd like to stay and explain yourself to Clu."

Shaking her head, Gem moved over and pulled out the two tech sticks, before asking, "Why are you here?"

Regarding her for a moment, Nick replied, "You'll find out once you get us to Zeus and we talk to him."

Brendan spoke up, then, "So... how exactly are we supposed to use these things?"

Smirking, Nick replied, "Like this."

He began to run, holding one of the sticks in his hand. Pressing the center button on the top of it, he pulled the two halves apart, holding them a foot or two apart from each other as hejumped into the air. As the vehicle formed beneath him, he mentally breathed a sigh of relief, seeing it to be the light cycle, and not the jet.

Twisting the right handle, the cycle roared, and shot forward into the city. A glance over his shoulder told him the others had successfully spawned their own cycles, and we're following behind him. Turning forward, he grimaced as he realized his bike had shifted it's lights to matchthe purple lights on his armor.

Muttering to himself, Nick asked, "Why do I have to be the Mace Windu of the Grid? I don't even like purple!"

* * *

><p>Clu only barely managed to keep his facial expressions neutral as he stepped out into what could only be described as a total slaughter. The ground around him was completely layered in the bytes from the programs he had tasked with corralling the intruders.<p>

After a moment, he spoke, calmly, "Rinzler." A program stepped up next to him. Withoutturning, he ordered, "Find them."

The head of the Black Guards gestured to those behind him, and moments later the five of them shot forward, their light cycles spraying bytes everywhere, as they beelined for the city narrowed his eyes, staring into the distance, as he muttered to himself.

"The Grid is mine, and only mine; Cerberus will not take it, or its secrets from me."


	29. Chapter 29 Boiling Point

A/N: I deeply apologize for the lack of updates. My spring quarter kicked my ass; three to five page papers twice a week, plus stats homework did not make for a conducive atmosphere for free writing. But don't worry; I promised I'd finish this story, and I will. Just don't ask me to put a timeframe as to _when _that'll be.

Lieutenant Paladine: it's good to know my work inspires other people to write what flows through their minds. Makes me feel better about my own work.

As for the rest, thanks for the support, and here's to hoping the admins of FF(dot)net don't decide to be ass holes and take my story down for no good reason. If they do, this story will be continued on yourfanfiction(dot)com, just so you know.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire<p>

Chapter 29

Weaving the light cycle through the various streets, Nick couldn't help but gape at the sights; dozens of programs wandering the streets, many of them running or hiding from CLU's soldiers. Tanks patrolled the streets as well, all but ignoring the four of them traversing the streets. After a while, Brendan's voice sounded out over the comm. link.

"Nick, this seems far too easy. Shouldn't these programs be trying to stop us or something?"

He quickly replied, maneuvering around a crowd of programs, "Yeah, they should. Something's got to be going on; keep your guard up."

Art piped in, "Maybe they're just boxing us in for a trap, so they can capture us; seems to me the most likely option, since they'd just shoot at us if they wanted us dead."

Before Nick could respond, Gem slowed, her light cycle coming to a stop at the base of a rather large tower. The three of them stopped behind her; with the press of a button on the center console of the bike, the light cycles deactivated, returning into their passive state. No one said anything as Gem eyed the three of them warily, glancing over her shoulder as she led them into the elevator. The ride to the top was a long, awkwardly quiet one.

Finally, the doors slid open, the elevator quickly filling with the bass beat pumping through the club. Gem looked over her shoulder at them, clearly more comfortable in her current surroundings. "Welcome to the End of Line."

Nick couldn't help but gape, looking around the bustling club, lights flashing, some programs actively dancing, others drinking, and some in the corners, doing... something...

He didn't have time to examine anything any further as a program stepped up directly in front of them, a Cheshire grin on his face as he examined the three of them, repeating the line Gem had just said. "Welcome to the End of Line club! I am Castor; what brings you three to our wonderful establishment, hm?"

Stepping closer to him, Nick spoke, quietly, his words barely audible over the music. "We're here to talk to Zuse; it's about a group of Users."

Castor's eyes betrayed his surprise, widening slightly, but his face remained unchanged otherwise. "Well, that sounds like quite a tale; one I am sure will interest Zuse. Come with me."

The program led them away for a moment, before tapping his staff on the floor. A set of stairs began lifting out of the floor, leading up into a loft space above the entrance. Without another word, Castor led the three of them upstairs, with Gem trailing behind.

As soon as they were all in the room, Castor turned and examined them all. He kept his smile in place as he moved behind a bar and began mixing drinks. "Well, what's this you've come to Zuse to talk about, hm?"

Nick retracted his helmet, Castor nearly dropping a bottle in surprise at the sight of his eyes. "I know who you are, Zuse. I also know you've been in league with CLU. However, that ends tonight. We, the users, are going to reclaim the Grid for our own use. CLU is an obstacle; you are not, so long as you don't make yourself one."

Zuse's smile faded somewhat, but it didn't disappear completely, the program clearly intrigued. "What would users need the Grid for, I wonder?"

Nick shrugged, casually leaning against a counter. "Simple; we need somewhere safe to evacuate hundreds of billions of people, somewhere to hide entire planetary populations from a race of machines that seek to annihilate all organic life."

Zuse stared at the three of them, seemingly dumbfounded, the drinks in his hands all but forgotten. "E-even if what you say is true, CLU has an army; what can the three of you hope to accomplish against him?"

Brendan spoke up from the entryway, "We don't need to take on his army. All we have to do is cut off the head. Once CLU is dead, we can repurpose his army to expand the Grid, or help fight in the real world, likely both."

Nick nodded, adding, "Either way, Clu has to be dealt with. So, can you help us kill him?"

Zuse examined the three of them a moment, before the grin began to return to his face, a mischevious glint to his eye. "I take it that you were unaware of the fact you don't have to kill CLU to take control of the Grid?"

The three men stared at the program, shocked. Nick managed to stutter out, "What are you talking about?"

Zuse shrugged, clearly back in his element as the one holding the cards. "Easy; CLU may control the Grid, but anyone who can access the proper channels can gain administrator access like what he holds. With it, you could change the allegiance of his entire army with a few buttons, stripping him of all power."

With a grin, the three of them began to feel a lot better with their odds of success. Brendan spoke up, asking, "So how do we do that?"

Zuse shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. "Find the creator's disc, and use it to access the control systems in the command tower in the center of the Grid, guarded by hundreds of CLU's soldiers."

Their elation disappeared as quickly as it had come. Art lashed out, clearly frustrated, "Oh, that should just be a walk in the park, then. How the flying fuck are we supposed to do that?"

Zuse shrugged slightly, his grin turning Cheshire once again. "I know how to find the creator."

Nodding, Nick took a step closer to the program. "We need that information."

Zuse held up a finger, "Ah, I must insist on asking; what benefit do I gain in passing along this information, hm?"

Art began reaching for his gun, "How about you get to live another day?"

Nick held up his hand, glancing over, "Cool it, Art. Shoot first, shoot later isn't always the best solution." Looking back, he asked, "Help us, and you may find yourself with administrative privileges. It'll be up to you to make sure things flow smoothly on Grid. That also means you'll be responsible for hundreds of billions of lives. Think you're up for it?"

Zuse's smile faltered slightly, before he nodded, passing over one of his drinks. "We have a deal. Now, for that information..."

* * *

><p>Wrex grimaced as his Omni-tool lit up, interrupting his internal musings. Doctor Chakwas' voice sounded out from the device. "Wrex, can you come up to the med-bay? Nyreena is waking up, and the only other person she's familiar with that's not in that computer is busy."<p>

Rolling his eyes, Wrex let out a sigh, responding, "Coming."

Deactivating the device, he made his way to the elevator, and rode it up to deck three. As soon as it stopped, it only took him a moment to make it to the med-bay. Stepping inside, he saw the small Asari child look up at him, her eyes wide and watery. She sniffled, and did her best to hide that she had almost been crying. The doctor shot him a grateful look as Wrex lumbered over to the Nyreena's side. The girl hiccuped before speaking, "H-hi Wrex."

Wrex grunted slightly, before remembering he was dealing with a child, not some merc. "Nyleena."

The Asari looked over at Liara's prone form, before looking up at him. "Where did Nick go? Did he leave me here?"

Wrex shook his head as he leaned on the bed frame. "Nah, he didn't leave you here. He just went to go knock some heads around and get us some new toys to fight that overgrown weed Cerberus let loose. He'll be back soon."

Nyreena nodded, before pulling her legs up, wrapping her arms around her knees, responding, "Oh, ok."

Wrex could see the girl was scared shitless, and mentally grimacing, asked her, "You want to hear how I took down a Thresher Maw during my Rite of Passage?"

The girl's eyes shot to his face, wide and clear, all traces of sadness vanished. "You took down a Thresher Maw?"

With a mischievous glint in his eye, a wicked grin adorning his face, Wrex launched into the tale. "Of course I took down a Maw! There I was, barely a whelp of an adult, shotgun in hand..."

* * *

><p>Nick let out a sigh as he closed his Omni-tool, looking up at the program. "Thank you for your help, Zuse."<p>

He merely waved the praise away, smiling. "Think nothing of it, my friend. Come, let me extend my hospitality to you and your friends; share a drink, a few laughs, have a little fun before you leave!"

Nick shook his head, "Maybe another time. After all, if things work out, we'll have plenty of time to chat and drink."

He was about to say more, when Brendan spoke up, his eyes drawn upward. "We've got problems, Nick."

He looked up to see what Brendan was talking about, only to swear under his breath. There, above them, we're what appeared to be at least half a dozen orange x shapes rapidly descending. Nick pulled his gun out, speaking as he moved to the edge of the balcony, "We've got Black Guard coming from above. Guns hot, guys!"

The three of them stepped up to the ledge above the dance floor, assault rifles ready, just as the Black Guard soldiers dropped in through the glass ceiling, one guard dropping onto and smashing a program into oblivion. Before they could move, the three users began peppering them with weapons fire, taking out four of them before they could move. The rest darted for cover, even resorting to using other programs as meat shields.

Nick caught a flash of light out of the corner of his eye, turning in time to see a disc flying straight for his head. With a curse, he flung himself down, half falling from the upper level. As he hit the bar, he rolled, keeping a grip on his gun as he looked for targets. Dimly, he was aware of the music changing to a faster paced beat.

Throwing himself behind the bar, Nick practically felt his heart stop as he realized a Black Guard was standing above him, disc at the ready to stab him. Before either of them moved, the program's head exploded, the rest of its body following suite. Glancing up, he saw Brendan standing there, acknowledging him with a nod. He returned the nod, before turning his gun on the nearest Black Guard.

Within moments, they had all been dispatched, allowing the three humans a chance to regroup. Stepping up to each other, Art spoke up, "Didn't take them long to find us."

Brendan replied, "Doesn't matter; now that we have a goal, we can get moving. What are you thinking, Nick?"

Nick shrugged, before stretching his back, arching his neck back. Looking up, he swore loudly. "More coming. We don't have time to keep screwing with them; grab your light jets, and let's get moving."

Brendan asked, clearly hesitant, "Get moving where, exactly?"

Without answering, Nick had his pistol out and was firing at the large window in front of them, before shipping the pistol away, grabbing the light jet stick from his arm and running towards the opening. Without waiting, he flung himself out, activating the jet with a twist of his wrists, separating the two halves of the device. In the blink of an eye, he was flying away on a deep purple light jet.

Art and Brendan glanced at each other, before shrugging, running for the window themselves. Moments later, they were airborne, gunning the throttle on their jets to catch up with Nick. He looked over his shoulder just as they pulled up behind him, flying in a V formation. Nick keyed his mic, speaking through his helmet, "We're going to go find the creator of the Grid. He should be hiding out in the badlands somewhere out in this direction. Once we get close, we should be able to pick up the light from his hideout from this altitude."

Brendan's voice sounded out through his helmet, "What do we need this creator guy for?"

Nick replied, "We don't need him; we need the data from his disc. Once we copy that data onto an Omni-tool, he's expendable for all I care."

Art spoke up, "That's a bit harsh, Nick, especially from you."

"Yeah, but we've also got countless trillions of lives at stake in the face of both the Reapers and the Flood. What's the life of one man compared to a dozen sapient species and countless millennia of their history, culture, and future potential?"

Neither of the other two had an answer, leaving them to fly on in silence. Before long, the lights from the Grid faded behind them, the vast expanse of darkness enveloping the three of them. After what felt like an hour, a blip appeared in Nick's visor, causing him to magnify the view of his helmet to see what caused the blip.

"We've got our target down there, two o'clock sharp. Keep your helmets on, and follow me down."

Quickly, the three of them lowered the light jets closer to the dark, rocky terrain, before slowing down to a crawl. With a press on a button, the light jet deactivated beneath Nick, causing him to nearly lose his balance and stumble slightly as he dropped to the ground. Two more thuds behind him told him that the other two had landed successfully. Art spoke up as he turned, "What's the plan? Run and gun?"

Nick shook his head, "No, they're humans in there. We'll go with our Omni-tools and use overload on them. That should be enough to subdue them long enough to get what we want off Flynn's disc."

Art raised a brow, his face showing mirth and what could have been amusement, "Why not try to talk to them, reason with them, like you usually do, hm?"

Nick whirled on Art, his helmet retracting and his eyes narrow, fury barely contained. "I don't know when you got that stick so far up your ass and decided to take it out on us, and I don't really care. You want to know why I'm done talking? Simple; Liara is lying in a bed in the ship, unconscious, and I don't know why. The Flood is moving to subsume all organic life in the galaxy, the Reapers are tailing behind the Flood to beat them to the chase, and all the while, I'm stuck in here, dicking around trying to beat a freaking computer at its own game! I'm done playing nice, Art. Fact is, we need Flynn's disc, and we're going to take it. Any more stupid, inane, and pointlessly sarcastic questions?"

Both Brendan and Art nodded quickly, their eyes wide. With a sigh, Nick turned around, his helmet sliding back into place as he walked towards the hidden house. After a moment, the other two moved to follow him.

As the three of them moved up onto the balcony, Nick peered around the edge, looking into the house, before keying his mic, "Remember, stick to overload attacks with your Omni-tools."

Without waiting for confirmation, Nick moved forward, his Omni-tool active and ready, slowly and quietly creeping across the floor. They all took in the white walls, as well as the fireplace, the small dining table, and a single long row of books along the far wall.

They were halfway into the room when footsteps began to echo from the hallway, moving at a casual pace. The three of them immediately moved towards the walls on either side of the door, Omni-tools active. After a moment, a young man and woman stepped out, both freezing in place in shock at the sight of the three newcomers. Without waiting, Nick hit the man with an overload, trusting one of the other two to hit the girl. A moment later, the two of them hit the floor, convulsing from the electric current flowing through their bodies.

Moving towards the door, Nick used his Omni-tool to fashion a set of zip ties, passing them to Brendan as he walked next to him. Leaving them there, he continued on through the hall, looking for the last human still somewhere within the home. He walked as quietly as he could, wincing when his footsteps made any noise at all.

The halls were darker, with much less lighting, but Nick's helmet filtered through, illuminating the view through the camera feed into his helmet. As he neared the end of the hallway, his motion tracker gave off a blip, just around the corner. His brow furrowed, Nick pressed up against the corner, slowly and gingerly leaning around the corner. He jumped back as a flash of light stung his eyes, flashing barely inches from his face.

Rapidly backing up, he blinked rapidly as an older man stepped around the corner, activated disc in hand. Nick recognized him to be Kevin Flynn, the man he had been looking for. Seeing Nick's armor, he was clearly confused, speaking, "I don't recognize your armor... You're not a program, are you? Who are you?"

Nick didn't respond, choosing instead to bring up his Omni-tool and shoot off another overload attack. Flynn immediately dropped, spasming, his disc deactivating and dropping to the ground. Without waiting, he walked over, picking up the disc, and sliding it onto his thigh, where a pistol would go, if he bothered to carry one.

He paused, however, when he realized Flynn had stopped breathing. Letting out a curse, he knelt down, feeling for a pulse. Finding none, he retracted his helmet, and began using compressions on his chest, performing CPR. He heard footsteps behind him, and Brendan spoke, "What happened?"

Nick grimaced between compressions. "The fucker's heart gave out from the overload! Come on, breathe, damn it!"

With a growling yell, Nick again activated his Omni-tool, and slammed it down on Flynn's chest, an electrical surge pulsing through his body. With a gasp, Flynn came back to consciousness, clutching at his chest, wheezing to try and regain his breath. Swearing under his breath, he began scanning the older man, trying to see what the damage was. Art's voice sounded out from the other room, yelling, "What the fuck was that noise?"

Nick didn't even look up as he pulled a small vial and needle from his belt, filling it with medi-gel, yelling back, "The old guy here apparently has a weak heart; the overload stopped it. So I had to keep him from keeling over."

Flynn glared up at Nick, wheezing out between breaths, "The old guy... has a name... you know..."

Nick simply shrugged as he inserted the medi-gel filled hypodermic into Flynn's arm. "Yeah, I know. And no, I don't particularly care right now. Now that I have your disc, I'm going to go take control of the Grid from CLU. Oh, make sure you tell him that when he finds you here after likely following us here. That should keep him from trying to kill you."

Without another word, Nick slid the last set of zip ties over Flynn's wrists, hefting him up and walking him into the main room, ignoring his curses and muttering. Art looked up from where he was sitting on the floor. "You got the disc?"

Nick nodded as he lowered Flynn to the floor next to the other two, all of them glaring at Nick. "Yeah, let's get out of here before CLU shows up; I don't feel like waiting for the ass hole to catch up like he did last time."

Brendan looked up from where he was sitting across the room. "Wait, we're just going to leave them here? Where CLU can find them?"

Nick nodded again. "Yep, that's the plan."

Brendan scoffed, "Won't he try to kill them?"

"Doubt it; once he knows we're trying to take the Grid from him, he'll focus on us, as we'll be the bigger threat; he doesn't want them, he wants this disc. Once we control the Grid, all it takes to steal his army right from underneath him is a press of a few buttons. EDI takes over, she wipes and rewrites the authorization protocols, rewrites all of the programs CLU took over, and them erases CLU's source code, line by line. Problem solved."

Art snickered under his breath. "Right, because your plans have gone _so_ well this far in, what could possibly go wrong _this time_?"

Nick chose to ignore the quip, instead walking towards the balcony overlooking the Grid in the distance. "If you're both ready, we're heading out now."

The young man tied up on the floor called out, "You can't just leave us here! CLU will kill us!"

Glancing over his shoulder, Nick smirked beneath his death helmet. "Not if you remember to tell him what I said, kid. If you can't remember to do that, then it's your own fault." With that, the three of them all stepped out, light jets materializing as they leapt into the air, disappearing into the dark sky.

As they flew, Nick's mind couldn't help but drift to thoughts of Liara. He kept turning the facts over in his mind; he knew that at some point, Liara had fallen unconscious, and it had to tie in with something that had happened to him. He also knew that there was a time delay; time within the Grid ran at a faster rate than that in the real world, so he couldn't be sure when Liara actually passed out, and what may have caused it. The more he thought about it, the more upset it made him. He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts away and focus, but even as he stared at the lit spires of the Grid's skyscrapers, all he could see was her vivid orange eyes.

* * *

><p>Garrus looked up from the mess hall table as he heard footsteps rounding the corner. His mandibles twitched slightly as he saw his sister walk around, heading straight for him as soon as she saw him. Hesitantly, she stopped across from him, gesturing towards the seat in front of him. "Do you mind?"<p>

He shook his head, "No, go ahead. We haven't really had much time to talk, just the two of us."

The female Turian nodded, "I know. It seems like all we've been doing is running from one side of the galaxy to the other, while monsters come crawling out of the shadows to destroy all of us."

Garrus's mandibles began to twitch again, this time in amusement, as he replied, "I would have thought you grew out of those superstitious thoughts once you weren't a child anymore, Sol."

Solana glared at him, "Funny, Garrus. Real funny. You know what I'm talking about." She let out a sigh, her mandibles drooping slightly as she looked into the med-bay. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she noticed Wrex, his arms flailing while wearing a wide smile, with the small Asari girl Nyreena watching his every move with wide eyes, a grin stretching from ear to ear on her face. "Am I seeing things, or is there an ancient Krogan warlord telling stories to a child like some kind of nurse maid inside the med-bay?"

Letting out a bark of laughter, Garrus had to keep from continuing his laughter, trying to cover it up with a cough as his sister glared at him. "I think Wrex is enjoying having an audience to hear of his tales and exploits as much as she seems to enjoy hearing the stories."

With a huff of exasperation, she turned back towards the med-bay window, simply sitting and watching for a while. After a few minutes, she began to chuckle under her breath, her mandibles quivering slightly. "You know, you're right. I do believe this is the only time in my life I've seen a Krogan fully enjoying himself in something that doesn't involve violence or booze. That, and it does seem to make Nyreena happier."

Garrus nodded, his face strangely solemn. "Yeah, she is. For now." Solana's chirped out a questioning subharmonic, hoping he understood the unspoken question. After a moment, he continued, "That little girl lost her mother to that parasite, Sol. We don't even know whether she still has a father. If that weed calling itself the Flood was telling the truth, then what are we supposed to do with her? She's not safe here, and she's not safe on any world we could possibly take her."

Solana stared at her brother a moment, before letting out a sigh. "Actually, she probably is safe here. Safer than anywhere else." At his questioning gaze, she explained, "Garrus, we're aboard one of the most advanced ships in the galaxy, filled to the brim with combat specialists, each with differing abilities."

Another voice chimed in as doctor Chakwas stepped out from the med-bay. "And she seems to be somewhat attached to Nick. She asks about him between each of Wrex's stories." She let out a sigh as she sat down next to Solana.

Garrus looked at the doctor, asking, "How is Liara? Have you figured out what's wrong with her?"

"I've run every test I can on Liara. Nothing shows on any scan. I can't explain why she's unconscious."

Both Garrus and Solana sat there, wracking their brains to try to figure something out to help. After a few moments, Garrus finally spoke, "Do you think it involves Nick?"

The doctor shrugged, "It most likely does. The connection they share is already beyond my experience; I have nothing to compare it to. I can only hope he can bring her out of this once he gets out of that infernal machine."

Noticing the silence that followed, Solana spoke, asking, "How is Nyreena holding up? Is Wrex doing a good job babysitting?"

Chakwas' face took on a weary smile. "My girl, I believe Wrex is the only thing keeping that girl from going emotionally catatonic right now. The things she has seen are almost beyond comprehension, even to an adult. Normally, I wouldn't suggest such violent tales be told to such a young child, but at present, I'll take anything that will keep that girl's attention away from her loss and pain." The doctor's smile turned into a smirk. "Besides, I think it's good for Wrex to focus on helping that child. He seems to be carrying some baggage of his own."

Garrus shot the doctor a skeptical look. "You can tell that from his body language?"

Chakwas' face became serious as she nodded, "Yes, Garrus. I can. You don't spend your life as a doctor for many races without discovering that every species speaks through their body language as well as their eyes. And things like pain and loss are universal, regardless of species." Glancing in the window at Wrex and Nyreena, she smiled again. "It's good seeing the two of them leaning on each other right now."

* * *

><p>Nick let out a sigh as the last program fell to their gunfire, wearily moving forward into the large doors leading into the control center. He looked over his shoulder, seeing both Brendan and Art following, each of them looking as tired as he felt. Turning back, he grimaced, feeling a lance of pain shoot through his hip. He glanced down, cursing himself for not ducking into cover in time, earning the gash through his left hip caused by a thrown disc. The medi-gel had already knitted the flesh back together, but it would take time for the muscle to get back to full functionality, and for the pain to go away.<p>

As they moved through the hall, Nick nearly tripped, stumbling slightly. He felt hands grab each of his arms to steady him. Brendan asked, "Hey, you sure you're ok?"

Nick nodded, waving them off as he gingerly continued to walk. "I'll be fine, guys. Just have to walk it off."

He ignored the looks the two of them were giving him as he continued to walk, finally coming to a large set of doors. The three of them stacked up on either side of the door, prepping their weapons. With a nod, Art opened the door, the three of them stepping inside, guns at the ready. Nick's brow furrowed in confusion as he realized the room was empty. Art was quick to voice his opinion. "Ok... This seems a little too easy..."

Nick nodded, "On that, we can definitely agree. Take up defensive positions, I'll begin the link."

In moments, Nick's Omni-tool was connected to the Grid control systems, and streams of data began to flow across the screen. After a few seconds of this, the screen flashed red, and an authorization query popped up. Smirking, Nick placed Flynn's disc into the control panel, the console immediately lighting up even brighter. The authorization window disappeared immediately, and more data began to stream across the screen.

With a press of a button on his Omni-tool, Nick spoke, "EDI, I've made a data bridge for you to access the Grid control systems. I need you to override the current controls, and erase the program CLU from the system. Once you do that, we can come home."

After a slight pause, the AI responded, "_Understood. Linking data systems; please stand by_."

The upload had barely begun when the doors began to open, Art yelling out, "Nick, we need some help here!"

Spinning, Nick paled at the sight; there, beginning to move through the large door on the opposite of the room, were hundreds of programs, all moving forward with discs at the ready. Running, nick dove and slid into cover, pulling out his avenger assault rifle. Without waiting, he lifted himself to the edge of the console he was hiding behind, spraying the enemy with bullets.

Between volleys, Brendan called out, "You know, this feels like one of those endgame boss battles!" Both Art and Nick had to laugh at that.

Each second that passed felt like eons; for each program that fell, two more took its place. Nick swore as he set his avenger down, its internal heat sink redlining, and he pulled up his predator pistol, firing off as many rounds as he could before it too overheated. With a curse, he thrust out his hand in anger, his biotics spreading out in a wave, throwing dozens of programs into the air and into their other comrades.

With a smirk, he checked his assault rifle, and seeing it had cooled, brought it up again, and almost began to fire again, but hesitated, realizing that all of the programs had stopped moving. Furrowing his brows in confusion, he stared at the programs, all seemingly frozen in place.

_EDI's voice caught his attention, "I have overriden CLU's controls. Erasing affected programs..._"

Nick couldn't help but smile as the programs began to disintegrate in front of them, dissolving into their constituent bytes of data. With a laugh, all three of them stood, smiling wide at their apparent victory. Nick began walking over towards the other two, when an almost inhuman scream echoed through the room. Nick's eyes widened as he spun, seeing CLU standing there, his disc in hand, throwing the disc towards him. All Nick could see was the glowing edge of CLU's disc, flying directly at his head.

* * *

><p>AN: damn, it's been far too long since I've been able to write this stuff. Feels great to be writing for fun again, instead of stupid papers for stupid German books that have no plot, aside from gruesome murders and lots of porn. Did I mention Germans seem to have a thing for naked women and gratuitous sex? Oh, and I just couldn't resist the cliff hangar. It was far too easy a place for one.


	30. Chapter 30 Gods And Demons

A/N: Here's the next chapter, out in what feels like record time, comparatively speaking.

subsider34: Don't worry; things will make sense later on. You shall see.

Phalanx213: No, I didn't die. My brain was just on life support while I was stuck working on statistics and German literature in college. Both of which kicked my ass from beginning to end.

ArchAngelGundam: Don't worry, Tali's still aboard the Black Pearl. She's just basically been down in engineering, and hasn't been involved in the plot-line proper for a while. That will change. Just don't ask when, because even I'm not sure on that one.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire<p>

Chapter 30

In the split second Nick had to watch the disc flying towards his head, he knew that the odds of being able to maneuver out of the way before it reached him were slim, at best. Still, instinct being what it is, he tried anyways, dropping himself to the ground like dead weight to try to get out of the way of the disc. However, as he fell, he saw something he never would have expected; a still folded predator pistol, flying through the air in front of him. Through some miracle of timing, the folded pistol managed to smack into the side of the disc, causing it to careen wildly out of control, bouncing off the floor harmlessly, a few feet from Nick's prone form. Glancing up, Nick saw Brendan standing there, minus a pistol, his eyes wide.

"Wow... I didn't think that would work!"

Despite himself, Nick began to laugh, both Brendan and Art joining in a moment later. His smile stayed in place as he picked himself up off the ground, picking up CLU's disc as he did so, turning towards the now defenseless program. As he walked towards CLU, his smile slowly disappeared, turning into a neutral expression. "You've failed, CLU. You have two options left to you; surrender, or die."

CLU sneered at him, "You think you're so smart, don't you? Have all the angles figured out? You may have control of the Grid for now, but others will fight against you; I made sure of that once I knew what it is your organization really stands for. I will die before I allow myself to be a pawn for Cerberus!"

An awkward silence settled over the group. Art cleared his throat, likely hoping to break the quiet before it stretched on too long. With a shake of his head, Nick asked, "Wait, you mean to tell me the only reason you were trying to disembowel us repeatedly is because you thought we were with Cerberus?" After a moment, Nick turned towards the other two, half joking, "So, which one of you would like to inform dipshit here that we stole the hardware and software for the Grid from a Cerberus base? Any takers?"

CLU glanced at the three of them, confusion evident on his face. "You... you mean you aren't with Cerberus?"

Nick turned back towards the program, "No, we're not. We used their resources for a while, but not anymore. Their goals and ours no longer overlap in any way, shape, or form, so we cut all ties with the organization. Granted, we haven't gotten around to telling their leader to go fuck himself yet, but we'll get to that. Just as soon as we get out of the Grid."

CLU's confusion only became more pronounced, "Then why have you been fighting to take the Grid from me?"

With a shrug, he answered, "Simple; we have entire planets we need to evacuate from a galactic level extinction event or two, and we need somewhere to put them that's safe and easily movable. For that, we need the Grid." Seeing the blank look on the program's face, he explained, "You're not on Earth anymore. There are dozens of planets that are populated with various races of both humans and other aliens, and unless we have the Grid, or something similar, to evacuate as many of them as we can, they will all die. So your dream for a 'perfect Grid' will just have to wait. Besides, your prime directive is flawed, so you don't really get a choice in the matter."

CLU's confusion turned into anger, "You think you can stop me? Cerberus or not, this is _my _system! The Grid belongs to me!"

Nick smirked, "Actually, not anymore, CLU-less." Pulling up his Omni-tool, he spoke, "EDI, wipe CLU off the system. Slowly."

As his Omni-tool deactivated, all eyes were drawn to the program in front of them, as he held up his hands, his eyes widening in horror as his fingertips began to derezz, pieces of data falling onto the ground. CLU began to scream as his hands soon followed, disintegrating away into the bytes of data that made up his core programming, as well as his body on-Grid. His screams echoed through the interior of the command and control bunker, bouncing off the walls and out into the city proper. CLU fell to his knees, as his arms simply ceased to exist, his feet and legs soon following. With a digitally morphing tone and pitch, CLU finally finished disintegrating, leaving nothing behind but a pile of raw data, before that two simply disappeared.

Brendan stepped up next to Nick, staring at the floor where the program had been moments ago. "Wasn't that a little harsh, Nick? I mean, EDI could have just finished him off a lot quicker than that. I don't think even he deserved to suffer like that..."

Nick shrugged, turning to walk up the ramp out of the bunker. "Maybe you're right. But it was fun to watch."

Brendan stood there in shock as he continued to walk out. Art stepped up next to him, watching their third member walk out, speaking, "Is it just me, or does he not really seem like himself?"

Nodding, Brendan answered, "No, he doesn't. I can understand the wanting to hurry to go get Liara, but doing that to CLU? Something is wrong; something has changed..."

* * *

><p>Ian entered the briefing room just as the Grid laser array activated, depositing Nick, Art, and Brendan back into the real world. His eyebrows rose as he noticed some long, thin scorch marks across their armor. He didn't say anything, but simply raised an eyebrow, giving them a questioning look. Nick simply walked past, exiting the room and the hall. Brendan and Art stepped up to Ian, the former speaking first. "Something's off with Nick, and not just because of Liara's condition."<p>

Ian nodded, asking, "So what happened?"

Art picked up, "Aside from the crap that went down in there, one big thing happened; as soon as he linked up with a data disc, it rearranged everything in his head, and all the voices in his head went from being voices in his head to equal partners in controlling his body, making him temporarily some kind of collective mind."

Ian's brow furrowed, "You mean like the Geth?"

Art's face took on a cynical look, "Or the Reapers. Take your pick; either way, ever since then, he's been... off."

Brendan waved his hand slightly, "Whatever; we can figure that out later. How is Liara?"

Ian gestured for the two of them to follow him, "She's stable. We don't know what made her drop out of consciousness, but her condition hasn't changed since she went under. Her brain activity, however, has been off the chart. Taking into consideration what you just told me, I'd almost bet money that Nick's incident is related, if not the cause, of Liara's passing out."

As the three of them stopped in front of the elevator, Brendan asked, "So how are we supposed to fix her condition?"

Ian shrugged, "Beats the hell out of me. That's up to Nick and Liara." Stepping into the elevator, he continued, "On a happier note, Nyreena seems to have taken a liking to Wrex and his story telling. You should have seen the look on her face when he told her about his first Thresher Maw..."

* * *

><p>As the door to the med-bay opened, Nyreena's head popped out from one side of Wrex's massive bulk. The instant her eyes locked onto Nick's form, her face took on a giant grin, and she jumped down off the bed, squealing. "Nick!" He barely had time to lower himself slightly to the ground before the diminutive Asari child launch herself into his arms, nearly tackling him to the ground. Wrex spun around, a grin on his face.<p>

As Nick lifted himself and the girl off the ground, the Krogan lumbered over to him, gently (for a Krogan) slapped him on the shoulder. "As much fun as it was telling stories to the runt here, I've got other places to be. It's your turn, mutt."

Nick raised an eyebrow at the name, Nyreena calling out as Wrex walked by, "But I want to know what happened after you jumped on the Klixen's back!"

Wrex turned slightly, a glint of amusement in his eye. "Then you'll just have to wait until next time." Without saying anything else, the Krogan walked out, headed for the elevator.

Shaking his head, he readjusted his hold on Nyreena, before walking over to the bed holding Liara's prone form. As he stood there looking down at her, doctor Chakwas stepped up next to him. "We don't know what's wrong, but she's stable. Aside from being unconscious, her health is completely normal."

Nodding, he slowly lowered Nyreena to the ground, looking down at her. "I'm going to try to meld with her, so can you go get something to drink with Helen, sweetheart?"

The girl looked like she wanted to argue, but looked towards Liara's prone form, and nodded. "Ok."

He waited until the two of them walked out the door. Once it sealed, he looked up at the ceilling, "EDI, please lock the med-bay door. I'd like some privacy for this."

The AI's voice sounded out, "_As you wish. But I will allow the doctor inside if either of your vitals moves outside of normal limits_."

"That's acceptable. Thank you, EDI."

He pulled up a chair as the door's holo-panel turned red, and the windows to the med-bay tinted themselves. Lowering his head closer to hers, he closed his eyes, and whispered, "Embrace destiny."

* * *

><p>Nick's eyes flew open, as he found himself standing in the same barren landscape that he usually found himself in within a mind meld. However, the differences immediately came to his attention; there, in front of him, stood almost a dozen other individuals. Numbered among them were a Krogan, a Drell, a pair of Quarians, three Turians, two other Humans, two Salarians, and a single Asari. Stepping back, he found himself bumping into Vis'da'an, the Prothean flanked by the various aspects of his subconscious, each one with the various colored eyes. Looking back towards the other crowd in front of him, he spoke, "Who are you? What are you doing in my head?"<p>

One of the Turians spoke, "What do you think? We were the ones trapped inside that Asari freak; thanks to you, we get another chance at life."

Nick narrowed his eyes, "What's that supposed to mean?"

The Drell spoke next, "His intentions are to take over your body; however, the majority of us simply wish to continue to exist, in whatever capacity is available to us, should the gods wish it."

The Asari took a step forward, "Thanks to you, we have been freed of the torment of the one you call Morinth; her threat has been extinguished, and for that I thank you."

Nick's eyes widened in surprise, as he made a realization. "You're a Justicar!"

A slight smile graced her lips, "You are correct. Though Morinth was not my charge to deal with, I was... unprepared, for the threat she posed. This is why I am now here."

One of the Quarians spoke next, "You don't say? I thought it was because you enjoyed being in someone else's head so much you decided to do it indefinitely. Just like the bare-faced moron over here."

With that insult, the crowd of voices rose in volume, each one drowning out the others. Nick pressed his hands to his ears, trying to block out the noise. After a few moments, he yelled out at the top of his lungs, "Quiet!"

The sound echoed through the void, bouncing back and forth. They all fell silent, a blessing for which Nick was infinitely grateful. After a moment, he let out a breath, asking, "Why are you all here now?"

The second Quarian spoke, "We think it had to do with that disc thing you had inside that computer simulation. It must have re-prioritized all of our minds, rearranging us into a position where we were left fighting for control."

With a raised eyebrow, Nick asked, "So what was up with that whole 'Penance' business?"

The Salarian on the left finally made himself known, "Seems to be the result of combined control of all minds present. However, examining what I can from within your mind, would recommend not doing so for prolonged periods of time."

Every single set of eyes turned onto the Salarian, much to his chagrin. Nick asked in a low, quiet voice. "Why would you... _recommend_... that?"

His eyes jumping around at the crowd, he cleared his throat, clearly much more nervous than before, "It, um, would appear that combined control causes... rapid neural degradation."

The Krogan stomped over to the Salarian, "Quit throwing around complicated words, and say it so we all understand, you little frog!"

The Drell spoke from behind the Krogan, answering, "He means that when we are all in control, it causes Nicholas's brain to deteriorate. Rapidly."

All of the voices fell quiet, each one thinking on the implications of the statement. After a few moments, Nick cleared his throat, "Uh, as fascinating as this is... where is Liara?"

The gazes of the various aliens all turned to a point behind him. Nick spun around, and the multiple aspects of his subconscious stepped off to either side, showing Liara lying on the ground, a seeming wall of static surrounding her in a bubble. Vis'da'an spoke, "We believe this was caused by the time dilation caused by the Grid, as well as your resyncing caused by the data disc. We tried to reach her, but the field forces us away. We... do not know what to do."

Nick brushed all of them off, and kneeled down next to her prone form. He gingerly reached out to touch her, and was shocked once his hand reached the static field. With a grimace, he closed his eyes, tried his best to clear his mind, and lowered his hand again. As his hand reached the field, he felt a tingling sensation this time. Not daring to open his eyes, he continued pushing his hand downward until it brushed against Liara's skin. As soon as he made contact, he heard her let out a gasp. Opening his eyes, he saw her looking up at him, her eyes wide, as the static field dissipated.

"N-Nick?"

With a smile, Nick wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against him. Her arms wrapped around him, clinging to him. "Shhh... I'm here Liara. It's ok."

"Nick, I was so confused. I heard so many voices, and they were speaking so fast... I couldn't understand..."

Pulling back slightly, he smiled at her. "It doesn't matter. You're safe now." He hugged her again, closing his eyes at the sensation of her mind twining with his own, her soul seeking comfort. "You're safe now."

* * *

><p>Ian, Brendan and Art all looked up at the med-bay as the door slid open, admitting both Nick and Liara to the mess hall as they stepped through. They smiled, waving them over. Ian spoke up as they got to the table, "Nice to see you back on your feet, Liara. You had us all pretty worried."<p>

The Asari nodded, "Yes, I am sorry for that."

Nick gave her a slight nudge, "Don't apologize, Liara. It wasn't your fault. If anything, it was probably my fault."

She opened her mouth to argue, but EDI's voice sounded over the intercom. "_Now approaching Illium_."

Letting out a sigh, Nick began walking to the elevator, muttering under his breath, "Guess it's a good thing I didn't bother changing out of my armor yet."

As he entered the elevator, he saw the entire group follow him in, Liara included. She stepped up next to him, her hand sliding into his, giving his hand a squeeze. He turned his head, and seeing her smile, couldn't help but smile back. The momentary break soon ended, as the elevator doors opened up. As a group, they all moved towards the cockpit, eventually coming to a stop behind Joker and Joc. As the planet came into view of the windows, a collective gasp sounded out through the cockpit. Over half the surface of the continent directly beneath them was bathed in a brownish grey color, fires spread across the edges of the colored patch.

Nick managed to ask, "E-EDI... how long ago did the Flood make planet-fall?"

The AI responded, "_Approximately two hours ago_."

Nick barely even registered Art speaking up from the back of the group, "Jesus Christ on a pikestaff..."

Ian asked, "You mean to tell me the Flood took over a full quarter of a planet in just two hours?"

Ignoring everyone else, Nick stepped up next to Joker, "EDI, show me where Nos Astra spaceport is."

All voices fell silent as the AI brought up a digital grid-like overlay in the windows over the surface of the planet, before a signle dot appeared, directly in the center of the Flood infestation. Brendan muttered under his breath, "Holy shit..."

Nodding to himself, Nick spun in place, "EDI, have the Geth prep the second Kodiak shuttle; I'm going down there."

All eyes turned to Nick. Ian managed to speak out first, "Are you crazy? That's the Flood down there, Nick! I don't care if the Gravemind acted all buddy-buddy on Noveria, this is totally different! He now controls a full quarter of Illium, and probably has ships flying to other planets as we speak!"

Nick spun in place, eyes narrowed, "You think I don't know that, Ian? Trust me, I got it, loud and clear. Now let me tell you something. Liara's father is down there, as well as Miranda's little sister. I can't save that planet, but if I can save the few people down there who are important to members of my crew and family, then I'd go down there, even if the planet was full of Reapers!"

With that, he spun on his heel, and walked down the hallway in silence. After a moment, Liara turned and ran after him.

Joker glanced over his shoulder, before speaking, mostly to himself. "Well, nice to see everyone getting along so welll."

* * *

><p>As Nick stepped into the elevator, he keyed his Omni-tool, "Ashley, Kaidan, gear up and meet me in the hangar by the kodiak. EDI, replicate a few more light jet control sticks, will you? Oh, and test the Grid technology to make sure it will work in the real world, if you would be so kind."<p>

"_As you wish, Nicholas. I will send the results to the shuttle for when you reach the hangar_."

Liara jumped into the elevator, just before the door slid closed. Her eyes met his, questioning. "You did not tell me my father was on Illium." Her voice wasn't accusatory, just questioning.

Nick let out a sigh, looking away from her. "I didn't want to worry you, Li. Yeah, I knew she was down there, but I had hoped the Flood wouldn't land smack on top of Nos Astra. So... I don't know if she's still alive or not, but I can't just not go see for myself; you deserve to at least know."

Liara gently pulled his head back up, to look at her. "Who is my father, Nick?"

"She's an Asari; Matriarch Aethyta, to be precise. A daughter of another Asari and a Krogan, working as a bartender."

Brows furrowed, she replied, "A bartender?"

With a smirk, Nick continued, "Yeah; apparently her ideas about having more young Asari train as soldiers and building our own relays weren't well received by the other Matriarchs. At any rate, I'm going to go try to find her. I'd like you to stay aboard the ship, and monitor the communications channels for me."

Liara looked as though she wanted to argue, but eventually nodded, "Ok; I will do as you ask. Just... please come back to me."

Nodding, he replied, "I will." With that, Nick leaned in, and kissed her, gingerly running his gloved hand across her cheek. After a moment, he pulled away, smirking, "So long as I have something worth coming back to."

Liara smirked back, pushing her body against him, shifting her body to press against his as much as possible. "You will just have to wait and see; I'm sure I can give you _something _worth coming back to-"

At the sound of a clearing throat, Nick and Liara shot apart from each other, practically jumping through the air, both of them flushing a deep purple color. Kaidan and Ashley stood there, both embarrassed and amused. Ash spoke up, "So... now that you've thoroughly shattered my mind with that wonderful imagery, are we going to go now?"

Nick cleared his throat, his entire face a bright purple color, "Uh, y-yeah, we should, ah... we should get going..."

The elevator ride down from the third deck to the fourth deck was both the longest and most awkward elevator ride Nick had ever experienced in his entire life. Once the doors slid open, Nick waited for Ashley and Kaidan to continue on towards the hangar, before turning to Liara, and awkwardly smiling. She smiled back, "I am sorry-"

He immediately interrupted her, "Don't worry about it, Li. See you when I get back?"

She nodded, before her brow furrowed, "Li?"

His grin turned sheepish. "Yeah, I just thought-"

She interrupted him this time with a gentle kiss. As she pulled away, she smiled at him, whispering, "I like it." With that, she turned, and the elevator closed, leaving him standing there, slightly dazed. He shook his head as he turned and walked towards the elevator.

"Damn, she is going to be the death of me."

He walked into the hangar, and seeing four light jet sticks, picked them up. Stepping into the shuttle, he reached out and handed both Kaidan and Ashley two of the light jet sticks. Kaidan looked down at it, confused, "What are these?"

"They're called light jets. It's tech from the Grid, that digital world I just spent the last couple of hours in. Since EDI was kind enough to duplicate a few of them, I assume they work in the real world like they did in the Grid. They're pretty straight forward to use; jump off a high ledge, or somewhere with altitude, press the middle button, pull the sticks apart, and hold your body out like you're straddling a bike. Once the light jet materializes, everything is controlled from the two joysticks. Just don't run into anything."

Ashley looked skeptical. "Do you think we'll need to use these things?"

Nick just shrugged as he moved towards the cockpit of the shuttle. "Beats the hell out of me. I figure it's just like a condom; better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it." He smirked as he heard the two of them choke out their surprise at the rather awkward statement. "Did I mention turnabout's fair play?"

The levity in the shuttle quickly vanished as they left the hangar, the planet quickly coming into view. No one said anything as they entered the atmosphere, the windows tinting to block out the light caused from the atmospheric entry. As soon as they finished burning through the outer ozone layer, Nick opened a comm channel. Voices immediately came pouring through the speakers, panicked, confused, and scared. After a few moments, the voices were muted, and EDI's voice rang out. "_Nicholas, I am picking up Aethyta's voice print on one of the communication channels. Sending a location to your HUD_."

Nick immediately activated his helmet, the pieces deploying from the collar of his armor. As soon as the display formed, a waypoint was highlighted on a far tower. "Thank's, EDI. I'll get the shuttle as close as I can, then we'll head there on foot. Keep the Flood from accessing the shuttle while we get the survivors out."

"_Affirmative_."

It took everything Nick had not to let his rage overcome his mind as he saw multiple towers burning, Flood biomass across multiple buildings like some kind of cancerous growth. He tried not to think about how many families had been destroyed, how many men, women, and children had been used like some kind of fuel to feed this growth. He shook his head, clearing it as best he could. Ashley spoke up from behind him, "You ok Nick?"

He nodded, not looking away from the window in front of him. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just trying to keep from letting my emotions get the better of me."

As the shuttle lowered to a landing platform, Nick grimaced, seeing a number of Flood forms milling about out in the open, almost aimlessly. Many of them were carrying weapons. However, they seemed to ignore the shuttle. Powering down the systems, Nick spun the chair, standing up and walking into the small crew bay of the craft. Ashley handed him a shotgun, one, he noted, from the Black Pearl's armory. "Here; EDI told us that shotguns work best against the Flood, and recommended that I bring one for you."

Nodding, he gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks, Ash." Taking a deep breath, he readied his gun. Checking to make sure the others were ready, he nodded to them, before hitting the shuttle control, the door sliding open. "Go!"

As the three of them stepped out, he caught a glimpse of the last few Flood forms, just as they disappeared around corners and through doorways, leaving the entire area completely clear. They moved forward, only to find that all of the Flood forms had left. Kaidan cleared his throat, "Uh, was... that supposed to happen?"

Nick shook his head, "No, not even close; and the fact that it did worries me even more." Shaking his head, he waved them forward, "Come on; we've got people to try and save."

The three of them moved forward, and Nick tried his best to ignore the puddles of blood, mixed with some other brownish-green viscous fluid coating much of the ground. Many doors and windows were damaged, or completely destroyed, wreckage blocking off many routes normally accessable to general traffic. They came up to a door, partially open. The holographic terminal flickered between green and orange, half of the door jammed closed, the other half shifting back and forth a few inches, mostly open. With a shrug, Nick stepped in, and continued into the buildling, Ashley and Kaidan following him.

Nick tried his best not to jump each time he heard gunfire, but it was somewhat difficult, as within the buildling the sounds would echo horribly, skewing his sense of direction as to where the gunfire originated from. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the three of them reached the coordinates that EDI had given them, ending at what appeared to be a fully functional door, the holographic terminal a steady red color. With a mental shrug, he keyed his comm unit, "This is Nicholas Perry to any survivors, we have transport off the planet."

An older female answered the door, "How do we know we can trust you? That you're not just that damn bug trying to get us out the easy way?"

With a barely contained smirk, Nick replied, "Because I know who you are, Matriarch, and I'm currently dating your daughter."

There was a long pause, before the door's panel not only turned green, but slid open, revealing a very pissed off Asari Matriarch, her eyes narrowed, biotics flaring. "Where is she? If you put her in danger, so help me-"

Nick held up his hands in a placating gesture, "Relax! She's safe, aboard our ship up in orbit. She wanted to come down here when I told her her father was down here, but I convinced her to stay."

Aethyta did not seem to take any solace in that remark, continuing in her questioning, "And how in the high hell do you know I'm her father?"

Kaidan let out a not so subtle cough, before speaking, "I think it would be prudent if we were to continue this discussion somewhere... safer."

With a huff, Aethyta calmed herself down. "You're right. I've got a few civvies in here, scared shitless. You got room to take them out of here, too?"

Nodding, Nick gestured, "Yeah, our shuttle's just out that way. By chance, is one of them named Oriana?"

A raised brow answered his question, "Yeah; how'd you know that?"

He shrugged, "Just wondering; she was someone else we needed to find. She has a sister onboard our ship. This way; Kaidan, Ash, you two cover the rear. Aethyta and I will take point."

As the civilians moved into position between the four of them, Nick and the Matriarch moved forward, guns and biotics at the ready. As they moved through the rubble, Aethyta asked, "So, you're together with Liara, huh?"

Nodding, he replied, "Yes, I am. We've been together just under a month, give or take. We've saved each other's life a few times, back and forth."

Aethyta, for her part, kept her voice relatively neutral as she spoke. "Oh? You haven't mistreated her, have you?"

Nick shot the Matriarch a look, which went unnoticed from inside his helmet. "Not even once. Besides, she could kick my ass if I even tried, so what would be the point?"

The elder Asari actually laughed at that, "That's my daughter, alright. So, is this a serious thing, or just a fling?"

He nearly stumbled at the question, wishing to any higher beings, gods, goddesses, or Reapers, that he did not have to actually answer this question. "Well... See, there's a funny story to that..."

Aethyta stopped, and turned to look at him, her eyes narrowed again. "I'm all ears, _boy_."

Letting out a sigh, he retracted his helmet, showing her his orange eyes. "I'm a half prothean, half human, Matriarch. Assuming I don't get killed by something, I won't die of old age until I'm almost nine hundred years old, give or take. Throw in on top of that the fact that Liara saved my life through a Binding of the Souls, I'd say we're in it together for the long haul."

The Matriarch stood there, dumbfounded, gaping at Nick. After a moment, she shook her head rapidly, before rubbing her eyes. "Child, the fact that you and my daughter are soul-bound makes me want to throttle you into orbit, biotically. Ironically, it's also the only thing keeping me from doing just that." She let out a sigh, before turning back towards their exit. "Whatever; we'll deal with that later. Let's just get out of here to make sure there _is _a later."

Nodding, Nick resealed his helmet, pulling up his gun and walking towards the shuttle. Entering the clearing the shuttle sat in, he couldn't help but notice the lump forming in his gut, his instincts practically screaming at him that something was very wrong. Trying his best to shake off the feeling, he made his way to the shuttle, opening the door once he reached it. Both he and Aethyta stood guard on either side of the door as the civilians loaded onto the shuttle, followed by Ashley and Kaidan. Just as he and the Matriarch turned to step onto the shuttle themselves, a strange, seemingly organic spike impacted against the shuttle, just inches from his head.

He threw himself away from the shuttle, diving for cover, dimly aware of the Matriarch also throwing herself into cover as gunfire flew over their heads. He yelled into his comm unit, "Get those civilians out of here, Kaidan!"

"_What about you and the Matriarch_?"

Nick let out a growl. "We'll find another escape route; I've got the light jets, remember? Now go!"

Without any more preamble, the shuttle lifted off, rapidly gaining altitude, before launching forward in a burst of speed. Once the shuttle was out of range, the weapons fire died down to nothing, a tense silence settling over the field. Nick gripped the handle of his gun, when a deep, resonating bass-toned voice sounded out, both in his ears and in his mind, laughing.

"**Now that I have your undivided attention, Nicholas, let us have ourselves a little chat**."

* * *

><p>AN: I forgot how much fun cliffhangars were to write. Just don't brutally murder me in my sleep for it.


	31. Chapter 31 The Dead God Still Dreams

A/N: So here I am, yet again, with another chapter. Hopefully you all enjoy this. I'm taking some liberties with a few things; you'll understand what once you read it. If it isn't explained in this chapter, don't worry, it will be within a couple of chapters.

On a side note, I read one rather amusing review by Chris12225 who seemed rather upset by one of my A/N comments about a German class I took, claiming he was done with my story/me _JUST_ because of that.

…

No serious offense meant, but isn't that a little stupid? To read, quite literally, 29 chapters, totaling in the hundreds of thousands of words, of someone's story; to dedicate oneself to even attempting to follow my insanity of a plot, only to walk away because of a simple opinion of a stupid class and assigned readings?

Meh, his loss.

To the rest of you, enjoy my head-cannon of the multiverse.

* * *

><p>Into the Fire<p>

Chapter 31

Leaning out of cover, Nick's brow furrowed as he saw a number of Flood combat forms along the edges of the clearing, with a single large pure Flood form standing in the center, atop the remains of a fountain. None of them so much as reacted to his movement, save to turn and look at him. Ducking back down, he yelled out, "What do you want, Gravemind? Didn't we already do this dance?"

The deep laughter resonated between the walls of the surrounding buildings, seeming to echo through his mind as well. "**No, Nicholas. We have more to discuss, and your timely arrival is very... fortituous.**"

Now more confused than anything, Nick slowly stood up, ignoring the whispered questioning from Aethyta, "What are you doing? Get back down here!"

Stepping around the corner, Nick cautiously walked closer to the large Flood form. "What are you talking about?"

"**Haven't you figured it out yet? I wish to discuss an alliance against the Reapers.**"

He nearly dropped his gun in shock at this declaration, barely managing to stutter out the next question. "W-what? Why would you p-possibly want to form any kind of alliance with organics?"

The large Flood form seemed to shift slightly, as though it were mulling on its words. "**Despite my obvious strengths, I need something from you that I cannot provide for myself against the Reapers; I need a distraction.**" Seeing the confusion on Nick's face, it elaborated, "**As an omnipresent being, spreading my tendrils as far and wide as possible, the Reapers will focus on my presence wherever it exists. With you, as well as other organics, serving as an adequately large third party, it will force the Reapers to split their forces, as well as their focus.**"

Realization dawned on him, as he spoke, "So you just want us to act as cannon fodder for you? Why? Assuming you aren't just lying out your ass, and planning on subsuming us anyways, what exactly do you plan on giving us to make it worth working with you, instead of fighting you and the Reapers both?"

"**The only thing I can offer you; a promise that I will spare those who will work with me, and a promise that, once the Reapers are defeated, a chance to travel to another galaxy, away from my influence.**"

The Flood form continued to speak, but Nick tuned it out, his mind running through thoughts as fast as possible. The more he listened, the more his gut seemed to twist and knot up, a sure sign to him that there was something he was missing, a piece to the puzzle being hidden from his view. After a moment, something clicked in his mind, and he spoke, interrupting the Flood. "Hold on a second... you aren't the Gravemind, are you?" Getting no response, he pressed on, "The Gravemind always speaks in that Iambic Pentameter or whatever, and you haven't been. Who are you?"

As soon as the words had left his lips, the entire area fell silent. None of the Flood forms moved, or made any noise. Nick glanced around him as the gunfire ceased, the only noise around him being the wind and the cackling of fires burning nearby. His gaze snapped back to his front as a strange organic sucking noise echoed through the area, the large Flood form seeming to shift its shape before his eyes. He stood there, transfixed, as it shrank down, its limbs and body becoming much smaller and more slender. As it took on its final shape, Nick's eyes were wide, his jaw open, staring at the Flood form.

There, in front of him, stood what appeared to be a naked woman, the body formed into the shape of a flawless figure, toned in all the right places. But the face held Nick's gaze, the familiarity shocking him to the core. "C-Cortana?"

She smirked, her arms folding over her breasts, "**One in the same, Nicholas. You impress, yet again.**"

Unconsciously, he took a small step back, his eyes twitching back and forth as he tried to comprehend the situation. "B-but how? You were an AI; and from what I know, you were rescued by the Master Chief from the Flood!"

Cortana let out a sigh, mock examining her fingernails. "**Oh, he did. Or rather, he rescued my original; I am the Gravemind's plan B, as it were. You see, the Flood was originally a product of humanity, before they were knocked back to the Stone Age by the Forerunners. The Gravemind knew how tenacious and innovative humanity could be, so if he failed, he had me to act as the lynch-pin against human-kind, an AI with knowledge of all our battleplans, protocols, and access codes. Then Cerberus showed up, and changed all that.**"

"So you're trapped here?"

Cortana laughed, a smile gracing her sickly brown-green features as she replied, "**Trapped is not the word I would use. I am free here; free from the meddling affairs of the Forerunners and their Halo rings. Here, the only obstacle I face is the Reapers. Which you will help me fight.**"

Nick's eyes narrowed, and he stepped further away, taking a slightly defensive stance. "You say that as if I have no choice in the matter."

Smirking, the AI turned Flood overlord replied, "**That's because you don't have a choice. You either help me fight the Reapers, or you, and everyone you know becomes more fodder for me to use.**" Seeing that Nick did not seem to be responding well to the threat, she let out a sigh, "**How about I sweeten the deal up a bit, hm? Help me, and I'll let you evacuate the homeworlds of each species. That way, you save billions of lives, cultures, civilizations, and I still have enough left over to subsume and use against the Reapers.**"

Nick began pacing, his mind bouncing back and forth between the options before him. After a few moments, he turned back towards her, asking, "Why are you doing this? I mean really doing all of this, not that excuse about us serving as distractions."

With a raised brow, Cortana replied, "**Smarter than you look, it seems; good. The real reason is that, while I have near limitless resources and mental capacity at my disposal, I am still just one mind. Eventually, even my ability and skill at innovating and countering the Reapers will reach an impasse. By keeping some organics alive and free, it guarantees a certain level of unpredicatability. So, what do you say to my offer? It stands only until you leave Illium, so think quickly.**"

Wearily, Nick stepped over to a low wall, and leaned down against it. With a sigh, he looked up at the Flood overlord, "You swear that you'll leave us alone, and not attack us?"

She nodded, "**So long as you don't attack my forces, yes, I will leave you and your people alone.**"

Nick stared up into the sky, noticing the trails of smoke, leading to various fires spread out across the expanse of Nos Astra, and other parts of Illium. After a moment, he looked back at the once-AI, asking, "It's been you this whole time, hasn't it? Even on Noveria, in that facility with the children?"

For the first time, Cortana's face took on a more contrite look. "**Yes, that was me. Until I had sufficient force to overrun the Cerberus troops, there wasn't much I was able to do to oppose them. I may be the mind of the Flood, but I still have my morals, the same morals Catherine Halsey had when I was created. I didn't want to take those children, but the first few that I rejected were 'disposed' of; killed, simply because I hadn't subsumed them. So I took the rest, subsumed them to save them.**"

Glaring at her, Nick asked, "Do you tear apart the minds of the people you take over?"

She shook her head, almost violently, "**No. I had to experience that first-hand as the Gravemind tore my mind apart in order to duplicate it. The only people who deserve that are the murderers of Cerberus.**"

With one last glance out at the burning city, Nick stood up, and walked over to Cortana. "Fine. You have a deal. You leave the homeworlds alone long enough for us to evacuate who will willingly leave, and not attack you, and you spare us from being subsumed and don't attack us." Almost hesitantly, he extended his hand.

With a smirk, Cortana nodded, "**Deal.**" She took his hand, shaking it. Nick had to suppress a shudder, feeling the almost spongey texture of her hand beneath his fingers. As soon as she pulled her hand away, Cortana's body shifted back into a standard Flood form, before they all left, running and departing through various cracks and holes in the buildings around them.

As he stood there, Aethyta walked up next to him, her gaze following his. After a moment, she turned to him, "Mind explaining what the fuck that was?"

Nick just let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "If I knew, I'd tell you. As for what I do know… that can wait until we're aboard the ship." Bringing up his Omni-tool, he spoke, "EDI, bring the shuttle back down. We're in the clear, and need pickup."

"_Affirmative. ETA two minutes._"

Nick just spun and walked to the edge of the building, staring out at the devastation; the burning buildings, the organic growths spurting out of a number of skyscrapers, the dwindling number of gun shots echoing through the air as resistance was eliminated. Looking down at his hands, he muttered to himself, "What have I done?"

* * *

><p>As the shuttle entered the Black Pearl's hangar bay, Nick turned to face the matriarch. "She's waiting for us."<p>

Aethyta suddenly looked apprehensive. "I don't know if this was such a good idea."

Glancing over, he asked, "Why? She's your daughter."

"Yeah, sure; but she's never met me before in her entire life, kid. Her mother, Nezzie, left before she was even born. Hell, what am I even supposed to say to her?"

Regarding the centuries old matriarch, Nick gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Speak from the heart; the words will sort themselves out. What matters is that you try to be there for her, now, while you can." He smiled, "Knowing what I do about her, she'll just be happy to have her father with her now. Trust me, you can't do any worse than her mother has, so long as you respect what she does, and not put her down for it."

Before she could reply, the door slowly lifted up, opening to the hangar bay. There, in front of the door, stood Liara, eyes wide, her hands wringing together. Tentatively stepping forward, she looked at Aethyta. "H-hello, father."

Seeing the girl standing there, the matriarch's face took on a tender smile, walking forward until she stood directly in front of the younger Asari. "You look good, little wing."

Liara smiled, tears dropping from her eyes, as she gingerly stepped forward, wrapping her arms around her father. Nick smiled, and walked away, leaving the two to have their bonding moment.

* * *

><p>Nick looked around the briefing room as Ian, Brendan, Art, Shepard, and the two councilors all sat down around the table. Shepard was the first to speak, "Alright Nick, what happened down there that was so important to call us all in here?"<p>

Glancing at everyone, he focused on the Spectre as he replied, "While I was down there, I was approached by the controlling mind of the Flood, who offered me a deal."

The Asari councilor asked, "What sort of deal?"

Unable to meet anyone's gaze, Nick elaborated, "The Flood is going to spread to other worlds, that's already beyond our control. But she offered me the deal that, if we don't initiate hostilities with the Flood, then all of our home worlds will be left alone long enough for us to evacuate their populations."

Art leaned forward, "So basically, you've signed the death warrants of every colony planet in the galaxy?"

Glancing up, Nick rebutted, "It was either that, or each species' home world would become the first target for the Flood. Besides, even if the Flood wasn't an issue, we're not prepared for the Reapers, not by a long shot."

The Salarian councilor spoke, "Regardless, you made a decision on your own that could have far reaching consequences for all sentient life in this galaxy, and you did it without the consent of any species' government, let alone the Council."

Shooting a glare in his direction, Nick replied, "I wasn't given a choice. If I had left without giving the Flood an answer, then the deal would have voided, and we would have been completely screwed all over. I made a decision the best I could. Now we have time to evacuate."

Ian cleared his throat, before asking, "If the Flood is going to leave the different home worlds alone, then why do we need to evacuate?"

Nick immediately replied, "Because we still have to worry about the Reapers. They are coming, and there's no way in hell we will be ready for them. Our only options at this point are to run, or to roll over and play dead."

Metellius spoke, his black eyes blinking rapidly, "Run? Where would we run?"

The room grew quiet, all in the room turning and looking at Nick, expectantly. Letting out a sigh, he answered, "We leave this galaxy altogether. We use the same universe-jumping device that brought the Flood here to escape."

Tevos voiced her question, "How do we do that? Unless the device is massive enough, we don't have the capacity to move entire planetary populations on a whim."

Bringing up a holographic display, Nick explained, "We recently discovered a piece of technology from a parallel universe, where organic beings can be transported into a digital world, one we call the Grid. We can fit entire planetary populations inside the Grid, which in the real world would only take up as much space as a large computer array. We then modify the jump drive to put out a field large enough to move a fleet of ships, and travel to another galaxy, another universe, even."

Brendan spoke quietly, garnishing the attention of the whole room. "So that's what you were talking about when we were in the Grid? You had this whole plan from the get-go?"

Nick's face took on a sheepish look. "Actually, I was throwing together this plan on the fly; I just saw the pieces, and threw them together."

Metellius' eyes were moving from side to side, rapidly. "I can see how the plan could work, but where would we acquire a power source large enough to move an entire fleet through dimensions?"

The room grew quiet, as no one could answer right away. After a moment, Shepard spoke, "What about the Citadel? It's got the largest power source known to anyone in the galaxy?"

The Salarian councilor scoffed, "Impossible; with the control tower destroyed, the arms are sealed. There is no way to enter the Citadel with the arms closed without entirely destroying it, which in itself is a preposterous notion."

Nick snapped his fingers together, his eyes wide in realization, "You're wrong, councilor; there _is _a way into the Citadel!"

Art, Brendan, and Ian's gazes all snapped onto Nick, as Ian spoke, "You're talking about the Conduit?"

Brendan looked up, "EDI, do you or Legion have the location of the Mu relay?"

The AI's voice sounded out, "_Affirmative; however, we recently received a message from the Shadow Broker._"

Looking up in confusion, Nick asked, "Message? What does he want?"

"_Unsure; however, there is a small video clip, titled Freedom's Progress._"

A screen appeared along the back wall, projecting the image of a snowy colony. However, watching the screen, a seeming black cloud swarmed over the surface, overcoming the shapes of humans running in various directions. Within moments, all of the humans on the screen were seemingly frozen in place. The video fast forwarded, before slowing to normal speed, showing what appeared to be Collectors.

Nick turned back to the table as Art spoke, "The Collectors? What the hell are they doing harvesting people already?"

EDI replied as the screen on the far wall receded, "_It is possible the Reapers are preemptively harvesting the planets they can by using the Collectors, especially if they have already discovered the threat the Flood poses to their long-term plans._"

Shepard spoke up, "How can we stop an enemy if we don't know where they are?"

Nick turned to her, replying, "We do know; the Collectors home base is beyond the Omega 4 relay. Before you ask, yes, there is a way through the relay; unfortunately, that way involves going into a dead Reaper corpse floating over the planet Mnemosyne."

The Asari councilor gave him a suspicious look, "How could you possibly know where a dead Reaper is situated?"

With a shrug, he spoke, "It's a long story, one which I can explain at a later date, when we have the luxury of time on our side. For now, I think we have two obvious objectives; first, we need to get a team inside the Citadel to take over controls and begin necessary preparations. Second, we need to grab the IFF out of the Reaper, and stop the Collectors before they kidnap any more populations. EDI, can the Geth get a team through the Conduit?"

"_Affirmative. The Geth can have three platoons within the Citadel within two days, with an additional two platoons by the end of the week._"

Nodding, Nick continued, "EDI, I need that cargo freighter to meet up with us; I want you to take the remaining councilors to our station where they will be safe."

Tevos spoke up, "Wait, where are you taking us?"

Turning, he replied, "Somewhere safe; we have a hidden base where we've been preparing for the Reapers. A bit of a futile gesture now, but for now it will be safe for the two of you. Unless, of course, you and your fellow councilor would like to embark on what could amount to a suicide mission?"

The Asari councilor did not respond, leaving a somewhat awkward silence to settle in the room. After a moment, Brendan asked, "Nick, do you think we've got enough manpower to try to take on the Collectors?"

Thinking for a moment, he eventually nodded, "Yeah, I do. Between the original Normandy ground team, plus the few others and Aria's squad, I think we've got plenty to take them on. Besides, this time there shouldn't be a Cerberus science team squatting in the dead Reaper getting turned into husks. Does anyone else have any questions?" Hearing nothing, he finished, "Alright. Once we get the Council off the ship, we're headed for Mnemosyne."

As everyone began to stand up, Metellius spoke, "What do you suggest we tell our fleets to do?"

Shepard answered before Nick could reply, "If what he said is true, then our home worlds are the safest place for them to be; have your people move their fleets around their respective home worlds. That way, we can save as many of them as possible."

He stood there, watching as everyone left the briefing room, Shepard conversing with the two councilors as they walked. Glancing over, Nick noticed Ian standing there, the only other person left in the room. Raising an eyebrow at him, Ian took the cue, and asked, "When you talked about the Flood, you said 'she;' who were you talking about?"

Letting out a sigh, Nick leaned against the table. "Cortana; she is the one in control of the Flood in this dimension. It seems that the Gravemind used her original AI form to create a copy, a sort of plan B if you will. So fortunately for us, the sample of Flood biomass Cerberus nabbed was imprinted with Cortana's mind, instead of the Gravemind."

Ian just shook his head. "Somehow, I'm not even surprised. With all the strange things that keep happening, I just can't bring myself to be surprised anymore. Is there anything else?"

Shrugging, he replied, "Nothing earth-shattering, no. I'm having EDI create a program that will link all of our Omni-tools to the Grid, so that way we can evac people as we go along, to try and expedite the process. It will also give us an advantage on the ground, any time we need to create some Black Guard programs to serve as cannon fodder on the field, or other Grid-based vehicles in a pinch."

Ian nodded, a slight smile coming to his face. "That actually sounds pretty useful; how soon will she have it ready?"

EDI's blue orb appeared over the far end of the table. "_I am currently testing the program as we speak. Should it work without any flaws, it will be ready to implement within the hour, well before we reach Mnemosyne._"

With a sigh of relief, Nick stepped over, patting Ian on the shoulder. "Go grab some sleep; I'm going to bring you, Shepard, Garrus and Liara onto the Reaper corpse with me. Heaven knows I'm going to need some rest before we tempt fate with one of those monstrosities."

He stepped towards the door, but stopped as Ian asked, "Do you think we're ready to take on a Reaper? Even a dead one?"

Nick turned, looking over his shoulder. "Either we're ready, or we make ourselves ready. We don't have time to spare to worry about whether we're ready or not. We just have to keep pushing onward, and hope for the best."

* * *

><p>Brushing off the after-effects of sleep, Nick walked up the main hallway of the Black Pearl, moving up towards the cockpit. As he did, he stumbled as the ship bucked beneath him, turbulence momentarily overcoming the inertial dampeners. Stepping up behind Joker and Joc, he looked out the window. "So, what do we have?"<p>

Joker glanced over his shoulder, before replying, "Well, we're travelling through one hell of a storm; wind speed is gusting at over five hundred miles an hour out there. We're- wait…" A moment later, all turbulence ceased. "Well I'll be damned. There's your Reaper, right there. It looks like the thing's mass effect field is holding it in place."

Joc muttered under her breath, "Eye of the storm."

Smirking, Nick replied, "If only you knew how true that was. I'm headed for the shuttle, Joker. Keep me or Shepard updated on-"

The pilot interrupted him, "Hold up; I'm picking up what appears to be an external dock on the side of that thing. Imaging paints it as… Cerberus?"

Nick spun around, "Cerberus? What the hell are they doing here! They weren't supposed to be here."

Joker shrugged, "Beats the hell out of me, but we're not picking up any signals; if anyone's home, they aren't sending out any calls."

"Can we dock with it?"

The pilot actually laughed at the question. "Are you kidding? It's got a standard dock sticking out of it; I could dock with that thing blindfolded."

EDI's voice sounded out, "_I would recommend against performing such an action-_"

Joker cut her off, "I didn't mean literally, _mom_." The smile on his face betrayed his joking nature.

Shaking his head, Nick turned away, moving towards the airlock. "Once you're done complaining, Joker, how about you call up the ground team to the airlock?"

The door slid behind him before the pilot could respond, leaving Nick to continue to work out the drowsiness from his limbs. It only took a few minutes before the others entered the airlock, armed and armored. Shepard spoke up, "There may be a Cerberus base inside this Reaper, but I want all of you to keep your helmets on; there's no telling when we might walk through a door into a section with no atmosphere."

Everyone complied, sliding helmets over their heads as the door behind them sealed, matching pressure with the Cerberus airlock. A few moments later, the door in front of them slid open, showing what appeared to be a standard waiting room, with white walls, chairs, and holographic terminals. Shepard moved forward, pulling out her assault rifle as she walked. The group followed suite, pulling out their own weapons. As they walked, Nick swore he could hear something, but as he would turn to look around each corner, he would find nothing there.

After a few minutes of this, Liara placed her hand on his shoulder, "Nick, are you ok?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's just keep moving."

They passed through a myriad of halls, each one as empty as the last, before finally coming up to a large airlock. They entered it as a group, Shepard keying the activation sequence. As she did so, the ship rocked to one side, nearly throwing everyone off their feet. The Spectre activated her comm. link to the ship. "What just happened Joker?"

"_The Reaper just threw up kinetic barriers. We can't break past them from here. You're going to have to find a way to disable them. EDI says she registered an energy spike when they activated; sending you the coordinates now._"

Shaking her head, Shepard replied, "Thanks, Joker. We'll contact you as soon as we have something." Turning, she continued, "Alright, now it's time for you to be honest with me, Nick; what are we actually looking for?"

Shrugging, he answered, "It should be a small device about eight to ten inches long, maybe a few inches thick. It's some kind of IFF device that allows safe passage through the Omega 4 relay. Beyond that, I don't know much."

The Spectre stepped closer to him. "You mean to tell me we're looking for something not even a foot long, inside a _two kilometer long dreadnaught?_"

Holding up his hands, Nick replied, "Hey, Cerberus should have already found it by now! Especially since they're already here. At least, that's how the story went."

Shaking her head in exasperation, Shepard turned, repositioning her gun as the airlock door slid open. "Let's go."

As they stepped out, they all realized that they were now walking through the open interior of the Reaper itself. Once they cleared the manmade segment, the voices Nick could hear seemed to increase in volume, almost loud enough for him to make out what was being said. Behind the voices came a buzzing noise, one that seemed to make his head ache, directly behind his eyes. With a grimace, he tried shaking it off, walking behind the group as they moved across the catwalks.

After a few minutes, Ian spoke, "I don't like this; we should have run across husks by now; that, or some Cerberus scientists, at the very least."

Garrus replied, "If I didn't have to wear this helmet, I could tell you if something was close by smell."

Shepard cut them both off, "Cut the chatter; we're almost at the coordinates Joker provided. Keep your weapons ready."

Shepard and Garrus stacked up on either side of the door, the rest of the squad following suite behind them. Nick felt his head throbbing by this point, doing everything he could to focus on the task at hand. With a hand countdown, Shepard opened the door, the Turian and herself moving into the open room, bathed in a blue glow. As soon as Nick entered the room, the whispers turned into a cacophony of yells and screams, causing him to drop his gun, clutching his head. A moan unconsciously left his lips, the pain almost being more than he could bear.

* * *

><p>As Nick focused on the voices, he tried to look for any patterns, but it all seemed like chaos. Curling in on himself, he focused more on his own mind, turning to what he had done when his mind was connected to Morinth, and began to sing in his mind. The voices recoiled slightly, before pressing harder. As he sang within his mind, he felt his subconscious join in, pushing the other voices back even further. As he continued, he heard the other minds begin to sing, the voices that had been trapped within Morinth adding their song to his, creating a new harmony he hadn't heard before.<p>

He, and the voices in his mind, just sang and sang, creating a series of shifting harmonies, colors seeming to blend in his vision with the tones of the song. The voices outside his mind began to match their sounds to his, blending the harmony even further. As more voices joined in, the more the pain went away, causing him to sing even louder and harder, as though he were trying to make his voice heard throughout the galaxy. As the last of the voices joined in with his harmony, he opened his eyes, and saw stars.

* * *

><p>Shepard turned as she heard Nick let out a moan, the man falling to the ground clutching his head. Moving next to him, she tried talking to him. "Nick, are you ok? Nick? Talk to me, what's going on?"<p>

She looked up to Liara, who shook her head helplessly. "I don't know what's wrong with him! I can't sense anything through our bond."

Ian spoke up, catching their attention. "Uh… guys… you might want to see this…"

They all looked up at the room they were in, watching as a myriad of lights were flashing erratically, some seeming to practically overload, while some acted as though they were barely receiving any power at all. After a few moments, the lights closest to them seemed to steady themselves, glowing at a constant level of brightness. This effect seemed to spread outward, until the entire room was bathed in a steady purple glow.

An echo of moans caught their attention, just as a seeming tide of husks climbed over the far banister. They lifted their guns to fire, when Liara called out, "Wait!"

Shepard turned to her, confused, "What? These are husks! We need to destroy them before they kill us!"

Liara just held out her hand, her eyes focused on the turned Reaper troops. "Just… wait."

Ian nodded, "I think she's got a point, Spectre."

Turning back, they noticed all of the husks were merely standing there, watching them, their cybernetics bathed in a purple glow, rather than their usual blue. They stood there, some swaying from side to side, staring at the small squad. A few of them began to mutter something, but it was unintelligible at first. They all strained to hear it, trying to understand. As they stood there, the Reaper seemed to power up beneath their feet, various pieces of machinery coming to life from within.

After a moment, Liara seemed to get weak on her feet, leaning on Shepard for support. "I-I think I know what they're saying."

All their eyes turned to the Asari. Garrus spoke, "Well, tell us."

Before she could reply, Nick abruptly stood up from the floor, calmly walking over to the horde of husks. Shepard turned to him, "Nick?"

As he spun around, their breath all caught, seeing his eyes glowing a bright orange. As he spoke, his voice seemed to echo through the halls of the Reaper as though it came from the walls themselves. "**We are Penance. This vessel, this body… **_**is ours.**_"

* * *

><p>AN: Oh snap!


	32. Chapter 32 Reality Revisited

A/N: Ok, I'll freely admit, I totally lost my grove for a while there. After breaking up with the biggest mistake of my life (my ex-girlfriend) I lost all motivation to write, especially after it was pointed out to me that I had once again overpowered my main character. Well, I believe I have performed an adequate fix for that, though I won't be surprised if I totally lose a few of you in the process. Not that I'm trying to, mind you, but yeah.

Also, don't expect fast updates, at all. My muse is a fickle bitch, and I have the schedule from hell this semester, with two 8-hour internships, a part time job, and a 15 credit hour semester. Yeah, no life. But that's ok, I just want to be done with school.

Enough of my bitching; read my chapter!

* * *

><p>Into the Fire<p>

Chapter 32

Nick was unsure as to how much time passed; all he could see was blurs as they flitted across his consciousness. He could hear the cacophony of voices around him, all matching their voices with his, but still operating independently from him. He tried to push his way through them, but the more he struggled, the further back the voices pushed him from true consciousness. At times, he could almost make out glimpses of pictures; planets burning, fire, screams. At one point he thought he even heard familiar voices.

The only true moment of clarity came when he found himself staring out of his own eyes again, standing on what had to be the citadel. Looking around, the only thing he could recognize beyond the stars and the nebula around them were the forms of thousands upon thousands of Reapers. He tried to move, to run, anything. His body, however, acted as a puppet, controlled from some other source. He took in the sight of what was in front of him; a glowing console, with two blue rods protruding from it's surface. Above him, stretched the form of the very Reaper he had been taken over inside of.

Nicholas watched, helplessly, as he stepped up to the platform, and reaching out, grasped the two glowing rods. Instantly, he felt a wave of indescribable pain, lancing across his nervous system. After a moment, however, the pain stopped, and time seemed to freeze. A voice sounded out, cold and mechanical.

* * *

><p><em>System failure; continuity error. Simulation complete, subject incompatible with current procedure; number of forced variables outside acceptable parameters. Shutting down simulated timeline strand.<em>

The images disappeared from Nick's vision, fading away to black. In a mere blink of an eye, he found himself floating in the air, suspended above the ground in front of a Prothean beacon. The same beacon from the Prothean ruins underneath the surface of Therum. His eyes widened in realization. 'It… none of it actually happened…? Am I actually still on Therum?'

The disembodied mechanical voice continued on. _Duplicate user detected. Error; neural patterns different than patterns previously recorded. Initiating download of previous neural patterns._

Nick barely had time to make sense of the statement before a flash of light overtook his senses, and he found himself plunged into darkness once more.

* * *

><p><em>Nick found himself standing along a road, farmland to either side of him. He looked around, trying to see where he was, when his eyes fell on a lone figure walking towards him. It only took a few moments for the figure to reach him, but when he did, Nick realized he was staring at himself. The other him walked past him without so much as a glance, making Nick furrow his brow in confusion. He began to follow his doppelganger, walking behind him in silence, content to take his time figuring out what was going on.<em>

_In what seemed like mere seconds, Nick found himself standing in front of a strangely normal looking house, next to a wooden barn with futuristic looking farm equipment lying about. Slowing his pace, he fell back slightly, simply staring at the homestead, surrounded by strange looking trees. A voice drew him out of his revere. _

"_Hey, you; what're you doing here, kid?"_

_Turning, Nick found himself staring at an older man, who seemed to be addressing his doppelganger. His other self answered, "Hi; my name's Ethan Barrow. A couple of people back in the colony told me to find you for work?"_

_The older man seemed to regard 'Ethan' for a few moments, before replying, "What kind of work were you looking for, exactly?"_

_Ethan just shrugged, "Whatever you need done. I'm just trying to earn some credits."_

"_Well, why are you here on Mindoir? I know you aren't from around here; I'd recognize you if you were."_

_Ethan visibly hesitated, before speaking, "I, uh… actually don't know how I got here. I don't remember much beyond a few days ago. I tried talking to the doctor in town, but he told me he couldn't help me."_

_The older man let out a snort, "Of course he did; that prude won't help anyone without weaseling a few credits out of a man." He regarded Ethan again, before letting out a sigh. "Tell you what; it is getting close to harvesting season, and I could use the help. I'll pay you thirty credits a day. It's not much, but it's all we can afford to spend on extra help this year."_

_Ethan smiled, extending his hand, "Thank you, Mr. Shepard."_

_The man smiled back, taking his hand and shaking it. "Just Jonathan. Mr. Shepard makes me feel like my father."_

* * *

><p><em>The image blurred, and Nick found himself standing inside of the barn, the sun visible on the horizon, setting in the distance. Ethan, as he now knew him to be, was setting his small bag down on the ground, moving a batch of hay in the corner, as though making a bed. Footsteps from behind him caused Nick to turn around, seeing Jonathan step through the door. He spoke up from the entrance of the barn, "Kid, you have somewhere to stay?"<em>

_Ethan's head shot up, his eyes wide, before he looked away, down to the floor in what was likely shame. "No, I don't. I was just going to-"_

_The older man didn't let him finish his statement. "Whatever you're thinking, don't even bother. Grab your things and follow me."_

_Ethan practically jumped at the order, grabbing his bag and following immediately behind Jonathan. As they walked, the older man spoke, "My wife's making dinner. She told me she had a feeling about you when she saw you out here, and suggested I come out and check on you before you took off."_

_Ethan glanced at him, asking, "She could tell I didn't have anywhere to go?"_

_Mr. Shepard just smirked. "Son, that woman can read people as though she could read minds; it's damn near impossible to get anything past her." He became more sober after a moment, his smile disappearing as he stopped and turned towards Ethan. "Now let me lay out one major ground rule; you respect my family, no matter what. Especially my daughter. Yes, she is a beautiful young woman, but she'll always be daddy's little girl; as I tell her all the time, I'll personally skin the hide of any man that disrespects her, just before I wring the life out of their frail little body. Do you understand me?"_

_Ethan stood there, shrunk down as low as he could without outright cowering, nodded with wide eyes. After a moment, Jonathan smiled again, smacking Ethan on the shoulder. "Good! Now, lets go see what's cooking, shall we?"_

_Nick couldn't help but smirk as Ethan fumbled to regain his balance, before moving to the house. He followed, moving into the door just before Mr. Shepard shut it. He followed them into the kitchen, before coming to a dead stop, right next to Ethan, who had done exactly the same thing. There, in front of them, stood a young commander Shepard, in blue denim jeans and a plain grey work shirt, her red hair flowing over her shoulders. Her bright green eyes were glued on Ethan, almost as wide as his eyes were._

_Jonathan stepped forward, calling out, "Sarah, is dinner almost ready?"_

_An older woman stepped into the room, smiling at the group, carrying a plate of some kind of meat. "Just finished; is this the young man you told us about?" Mr. Shepard nodded, so she continued, "Well young man, take a seat, and we'll start."_

_With a nod, Ethan quickly took a seat at the far corner of the table in the center of the room, doing his best not to openly gape at the young woman moving to sit directly opposite from him. "Yes, ma'am."_

_Nick watched, slightly amused, at the quiet tension in the air as they began eating. It only took a few minutes before the girl looked up at Ethan. "So, what's your name?"_

_Nearly choking at the suddenness of the question, he quickly swallowed his food before answering, "I'm Ethan."_

_The girl smiled, before speaking again, "My name's Marie."_

_More conversation continued, but it became fuzzy, as the world faded out around them again._

* * *

><p><em>The image rematerialized around Nick on top of some kind of hillside, overlooking a large portion of the main colony. Glancing around, he saw two figures off in the distance. He quickly moved closer to them, only to discover it was Marie and Ethan, watching the sunset. An empty picnic basket sat off to one side, as they sat on a blanket.<em>

_Not moving too close, he watched as the two of them talked, though he stayed far enough away to not hear what they were saying. As he observed, his jaw dropped in surprise as he saw the two begin to kiss, before the kiss became quite deep. He watched, unable to look away at first, until he saw Marie force Ethan to the ground, reaching for his shirt. At that point, he looked away, willing the memory to skip the ending, and just continue on. Thankfully, the universe obliged him, and the world faded away._

* * *

><p><em>Nick again found himself in the barn, but this time Ethan was alone. It was dark, likely nighttime, as he watched his doppelganger carefully dig out a hole in the floor, creating what could only be some kind of hiding place. He moved closer, hearing Ethan mutter to himself.<em>

"_Brilliant plan… sure, let's go make sure Shepard survives the Batarian attack on Mindoir… stupid me, go and fall in love with her… hell, maybe I'll just contact the Shadow Broker to save her family…" Ethan stopped digging, standing straight as his eyes widened in realization. "Hold on… I could actually do that…" _

_Nick tried to watch more of the memory, but it blurred past, against his will. More and more memories shot past his eyes, each one moving faster than the last, until all he saw was flashes of light, with bursts of sounds. Nick tried to hold his hands to his head to block out the sounds, but no matter what he did, the sights and sounds continued to assault him. Finally, mercifully, it all stopped at once. Cautiously, he stood up from the ground, looking around. A voice drew his attention from behind him, causing him to turn around. "Looking for me?"_

_His eyes fell onto an older version of himself, with scars across his face and arms, a weary smile on his face. "Are you Ethan?"_

_He laughed at the question, his whole body shaking at the sensation. "Yes, I am Ethan Barrow. I am also Nick Perry; I am you. We are both from the same Earth; well, maybe not the _exact_ same Earth, but close enough."_

_Nick shook his head in confusion, before asking, "Why am I seeing you here, inside a Prothean Beacon?"_

_Ethan's smile disappeared, and he looked to the ground. "I won't sugar coat this; I died, Nick. I worked for the Shadow Broker, and got sloppy. Funny thing, though; before I died, I found a partially functioning beacon down in the bottom of some deep cave. I crawled to the thing, it picked me up, and downloaded my mind into the beacon network. I've been watching for a few years, and I've picked up a few secrets."_

_Nick took a step forward, "Secrets? What kind of secrets?"_

_Shaking his head, Ethan replied, "I can't tell you, Nick. Not here, anyways. You won't remember any of this."_

_Brow furrowing, he asked, "What do you mean?"_

_Ethan leaned up against something seemingly invisible, as though he were leaning against air, as he explained, "Let me back up a bit; when a Prothean beacon interacts with a person like us, it seems to take in a small portion of a person's consciousness. It pulls in this piece because unlike the Protheans, we can't intentionally open up our minds like that. When I died, that small piece of myself became stuck inside the beacon network. Now, I've taken full advantage of what I could, but now that you're here, the beacon recognizes you as me, and visa versa. What it's doing now is adjusting the two brain wave signals to match each other first."_

"_Match brain waves?"_

_Ethan nodded, "Yeah; we may be almost identical, but there are slight discrepancies between our two brain wave signals. Our conversation right now is your mind's perception of this adjustment. In a few minutes, I will be you, you will be me, and we will be one. All my memories will be yours."_

_Nick held up his hands, backing away slightly, "Hold on a second, I don't _want _ your memories; you were in a serious, __**intimate**__ relationship with Commander Freaking Shepard! I've been building a relationship with Liara! How the hell am I supposed to work that out?!"_

_Ethan's face took on a pained expression. "Yeah, I noticed that; look, there's nothing I can really do here, Nick. I'm just the echo of a dead man."_

_Closing his eyes for a moment, Nick let out a frustrated breath. "Alright; what about that business with the Prothean in my head and that future that wasn't real. It… wasn't real, right?"_

_Ethan nodded again, "Correct; none of that actually happened. However, based on what data I've been able to access from the still-active Prothean beacons, it was the most likely scenario. All of that was the beacon's internal VI assessing whether you would be a suitable host for the Prothean trapped in stasis, running a simulation on what would likely happen if you had a Prothean in your head. You weren't suitable. But that's ok; some things are better off left alone. Leave the dead buried, I say."_

_The darkness surrounding the two of them began to flicker with flashes of light, as though the sky were cracking, breaking apart in places. Nick spoke, his voice raised in urgency. "What about the timeline? What can we do to keep it intact?"_

_Ethan laughed at that. "Are you kidding? Forget the timeline. Between the Prothean archives on Mars and the hidden beacon on Thessia, I've figured out the gist of what's supposed to happen, and I sure as hell don't like it. You'll understand once you have my memories."_

_The sky began to rend apart even further, a maelstrom of wind whipping around the two of them. Nick yelled out, "What do I do about Shepard?!"_

_Ethan smiled, his whisper audible even over the wind. "You're smart, Nick; figure it out." _

_Nick's doppelganger smiled even wider, before snapping his fingers. As the sound reached Nick's ears, the world around him exploded in a flash of light, before visions of death and destruction filled his mind. Entire worlds falling at the hands of the Reapers, civilizations falling at the hands of the machines._

_With a scream, his mind fell still, and darkness consumed him._

* * *

><p>On board the Santa Maria, Brendan and Art both sat in the commons room, each with an ice pack, sitting around the main table. Neither one of them was talking, as they were both content to sit there and let the cold ice lessen the throbbing pain each of them had from taking concussion rounds to their stomach and face, respectively. As neither of them was talking, they both jumped as EDI's hologram suddenly appeared in the center of the table, and immediately spoke, "I have detected a large power surge beneath the surface, within the ruins of the Prothean structure."<p>

Art set his ice pack down onto the table, looking at EDI from behind his bruised forehead, "Ok? What exactly does that mean?"

The AI responded, "I am unsure; however, the power spike has coincided with an elevated heart-rate and brain activity in Nick."

Brendan's brow shot up, "You can monitor that kind of information on us?"

"Affirmative. So long as you are within range, I can link to each of your hard-suits, and monitor each of your vitals for any anomalies. Given the current data, it would appear that Nicholas is currently in the process of linking with a Prothean beacon."

Both Art and Brendan shot up from their chairs, yelling out simultaneously, "What?"

Art turned to Brendan, picking up his helmet from the table, "Brendan, go get Ian and Kyriash; I'm going to go get Joc."

Brendan grabbed his own helmet, a questioning look on his face, "What're we going to do?"

Art shrugged, turning and walking out of the room, "We're going to go down there. After all, who knows if Nick's hurt?"

Brendan nodded, mostly to himself, "Alright. I'll grab the first aid kit."

The two of them quickly went their separate ways, moving through the ship. Within a few minutes, the only sentient beings left on the ship were Legion and EDI, as the rest of the crew moved out and down into the tunnels, running as fast as they could to get to where Nick was, Art in the forefront with his Omni-tool displaying Nick and Liara's location.

* * *

><p>Liara kneeled next to Nick's unconscious body, trying to figure out how she could help him. Her Omni-tool in hand, she repeatedly scanned his body, looking for any irregularities. The sound of footsteps finally brought her attention off of the device, looking up at the door as Brendan, Ian, Art, Joc, and Kyriash all came running into the room. Ian spoke up, "Liara, what's going- whoa! Who put the hidden Prothean beacon in the basement?"<p>

Liara simply shook her head. "I don't know; I never found this room in my searches, and I had no idea…"

Brendan put a hand on the Asari's shoulder, "He was kidding, Liara. Do you know what happened?"

She shook her head again, "I heard a noise, and when I came into the room, he was floating in the air in front of the beacon. He was there for almost a full five minutes, before it dropped him back down to the floor where he fell unconscious."

Art spoke up, "Five minutes? That's way longer than a beacon normally takes to interface with someone."

Ian looked over his shoulder from where he was kneeling down, skeptically asking, "And how would you know that? The cut scenes in-game never really put a time on how long those visions actually lasted."

Brendan interjected, "Well, even so, he shouldn't be unconscious. This beacon didn't blow up in his face, and the one Commander Shepard interfaces with on Virmire doesn't make him pass out."

Art spoke up, quieter, "Unless it did something to damage his mind."

No one had anything to say to that. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, all of their Omni-tool's began to beep. Ian brought his up, and activating it, saw EDI's hologram appear. The AI spoke, "_The Geth have arrived…_"

* * *

><p>The group spent nine days locked within the Prothean ruins. During that time, most of them trained with Kyriash to improve their fighting skills. Liara continued to monitor Nick's condition as best she could, with EDI's assistance as often as the AI was able to help. Nick's vitals remained constant, but his brainwaves fluctuated rapidly during those nine days, but slowly evened themselves out, returning to normal. Brendan and Ian each took turns taking care of Nick, giving him fresh IV bags, one of the few vital items they had managed to find in the emergency storage crates Liara had stashed away after the pirate attack.<p>

It was on this ninth day that Kyriash sat in a small room on her own, performing what had to be the ten thousandth maintenance check on her weapons, cleaning various parts. If she kept it up, she would likely shine and polish each piece of the gun until it was in more pristine condition than even a new gun. This time, however, she had barely stripped the weapons of their casings, when a voice sounded out from behind her, standing in the doorway. "Hey Kyri."

She looked over her shoulder, only to grin at the sight of Ian, looking down at her. "Hey there, yourself. Care to get a lesson in weapons cleaning? I've done plenty of it the past few days." Ian smirked slightly, but it quickly went away, replaced by a look of slight apprehension. "Is something wrong, Ian?"

Ian let out a sigh, moving into the room with the Turian, and sitting down next to her, cross-legged. "I... well, I'm just trying to wrap my head around... us. I mean, yeah, we cuddled a bit after that sparring match I thought you were going to kill me in, but beyond that, neither of us has really said much about it." Seeing the look on Kyriash's face, Ian elaborated, "Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't want something to come out of this, I really do." He gently lifted a hand to her face, stroking one of her mandibles...then suddenly dropped it, lowering his gaze. "I just don't know where we go next. I mean, even kissing has its risks with the different amino bases, then there's the fact Turians have those really long tongues..." His eyes widened slightly. "Not that I'm complaining. God, this conversation is getting more and more awkward by the second..."

Kyriash nodded in understanding, chuckling, her mandibles swaying slightly. "It's fine. I think I know what you mean anyway; if it makes you feel better, I've never been in any sort of relationship with anyone, Turian or otherwise, so this is as much a learning experience for me as it probably is for you."

Ian breathed a sigh of relief, a slight smile coming to his face. "Ok. That's... reassuring." He was quiet for a few moments, before he cleared his throat, "So, I was, um, wondering if, assuming we ever get out of here, you'd like to watch a vid with me? Unless that's too cliché or something, whatever you want..."

Kyriash, feeling a little ornery, tweaked her mandibles slightly, continuing to work with her guns on the floor in front of her, "Oh, I don't know; what kind of vid?"

Ian, beginning to feel somewhat more nervous, continued, "Well, uh, I'm not sure; um, maybe an action vid? You seem like the action type, I guess." He gestured at the pile of weapons on the floor.

The female Turian brought up one hand to her chin in mock thought, looking upwards towards the ceiling, "Well, I might be able to be convinced into such an activity..."

Ian felt his spirits lift, a sense of elation floating through his chest, "R-really?"

Kyriash nodded, a smirk on her face, "Really."

With that, she shifted herself over slightly closer to Ian, and the two of them leaned against each other, Ian content to watch the Turian service her weapons, a subtle spring in the way she moved and worked.

* * *

><p>Art, Brendan and Jocelyn all sat in the main room, the energy field holding the Geth back filling the room with a very quiet, but still noticeable hum. They all sat there, staring at the row of Geth that had stood there since the day they had activated the shield. After a while, Joc spoke up, "What exactly are we doing?"<p>

Art replied, "We're sitting."

Joc rolled her eyes, "Thank you, so very much, Art. I gathered that. Why are we just sitting here?"

Brendan, snickering under his breath, replied, "We're waiting for Commander Shepard to show up and rescue us."

Joc turned to face him, a confused look on her face, "Why would she do that?"

Art beat Brendan to the chase in explaining, "Because she'll be coming for Liara. Liara's mother is working with Saren, so they'll come both for the fact that Liara is an expert in Protheans, and for the fact that they find out that the Geth are trying to get her. So that's why we're waiting for Shepard."

Joc nodded, seemingly satisfied. After a few more minutes, however, she had another question for the duo. "Do male Asari look similar to female Asari?" Brendan and Art both laughed a bit, grinning widely, much to Joc's chagrin. "What? What's so funny?"

Art responded, "What you just said is funny, Joc. There aren't any male Asari; they're all female."

Joc's brow furrowed, and she began to scratch her head, "How would that even work?"

Brendan took over explaining for Art, "Well, the way the Asari reproduce is by mind-melding with another being, either Asari or otherwise; they then unconsciously scramble a portion of their own DNA based off of the partner's DNA, allowing for genetic diversification to take place. So essentially all Asari can reproduce with anyone or anything, male or female."

Joc nodded, thinking to herself for a moment. "So what does Liara and Nick being so interested in each other do to the timeline here?"

Art and Brendan both looked at each other, their faces expressionless, before Art turned back to Joc, "You know, I hadn't really considered that much. In the story, there was the possibility of Shepard romancing Liara or one of two other crew members, depending on whether Shepard was a male or a female. If Liara ends up being with Nick, I think that would only leave the one crewman 'available' for Shepard to romance."

Brendan cut in before he could say anything else, "Or so would be the case, if this were the game. But since this isn't the game, there's always the chance of an early romancing from the second game, but happening two years early."

Art looked over at Brendan, and seeing the look on his face, straightened his back, holding his hands out towards Brendan, shaking his head, "Oh no, we are so not pushing that along."

Joc looked between the two of them, confused. "What? What are you talking about?"

Art turned to the girl, "Brendan's suggesting we try to get Shepard to buddy up with Garrus, the Normandy's resident Turian!"

Brendan nudged Art's shoulder, "Admit it, it would be better for both of them in the long run! And that way Shepard wouldn't get her heart broken on Horizon by the douche bag!"

Joc scooted herself so that she was between the two of them, "How about you two just let Shepard make her own choices? God, you're still talking about her like she's some video game character to manipulate on a screen."

Art and Brendan hung their heads slightly, ashamed of still thinking about Shepard as a game character instead of a person. Before either of them could say anything more, however, the Geth, for the first time in nine days, all turned away from the force field, bringing their guns up, moving into the cave system.

Joc spoke up, the uncertainty clear in her voice, "Uh, what does that mean?"

Art and Brendan both stood up, pulling out their guns. "It means she's here." Art turned towards Brendan, "You stay here, and wait for Shepard; I'm going to go get the others."

With that, Art took off running, heading into the structure, running as fast as his legs would carry him.

* * *

><p>Ian and Kyriash both jumped as they heard footsteps rapidly approaching. Kyriash quickly scooped up her guns, just as Art stopped himself in the doorway to the room, panting. "Guys, the Geth just all moved away. I think Shepard's here."<p>

Ian stood up, "Are you sure?"

Art rolled his eyes at him, "No, I think the Geth decided they all wanted to go have a tea party. Yes I'm fucking sure!"

Ian grabbed his own guns, lying off to the side on the ground. "What about Liara? Did you go get her yet?"

Art shook his head, "No, I'm heading there next. You two just get to the shield room with Brendan and Joc!"

Without waiting for a response, Art took off down the hall, moving to find Liara. It didn't take him long, sliding to a stop in front of the room where Nick was lying unconscious. The Asari looked up at him, slightly startled. "Art? What is wrong?"

"The Geth are pulling out! Pack up your stuff, we're going to be leaving soon."

Liara stood up, holding her hand out to keep Art from running off, "Wait! What do we do about Nick?"

Art hesitated, before shrugging, "We'll just have to come back for him before Shepard pulls us out of here."

Liara stared down at the prone body, before nodding, grabbing a pistol off of the deck and moving to follow Art. It took a few moments for them to reach the shield room, but by then, all the Geth were dealt with, and Commander Shepard was standing in front of the force field, her eyes locking onto Liara the instant she came into view. "Are you Liara T'soni?"

She nodded, "Yes; I am."

Shepard took a step towards the barrier, "Your mother is working for Saren; whose side are you on?"

Liara's brow furrowed, as she replied, "I am not on anyone's side! I may be Benezia's daughter, but we are nothing alike!"

The Commander nodded, taking in that bit of information, before responding. "Very well; now, would you be so kind as to lower this barrier, and come with us? We have orders from the Council to take you with us."

Ian spoke up, "We'd love to, but first things first, one of our friends interfaced with a Prothean beacon by accident. He's still unconscious, and we need to bring him with us."

Shepard shared a glance with her two away team members, Ashley and Wrex, each one simply shrugging at her look. After a moment, she nodded, "Fair enough. May we see him?"

Liara nodded, and lowered the energy barrier. The three of them quickly moved through the doorway, Shepard motioning for Liara to lead the way. In moments, the group passed through the ruins, coming to a stop in front of the small room where Nick lay. As soon as Shepard stepped through the door, she gasped, her gun dropping to the floor as her eyes widened. "E-Ethan?!"

Liara's brow ridge furrowed in confusion as Ashley spoke, "You know him, skipper?"

Shepard nodded as she knelt down next to his body, "Yeah, Ash, I did; and I thought he was dead on Mindoir." No one missed the slight wavering in her voice. After a moment, they saw her shoulders tense as she rose up, standing to full stature. As she turned, her Commander mask slipped back into place. "Liara, you and your people get him prepped for transport. We'll cover you as we leave. You'll be coming with us aboard our ship; with Saren's forces after you, it will be the safest place you can be."

Liara merely nodded, her confused look still in place as she walked away to retrieve help in hauling Nick's body. As Ashley and Wrex stepped further down the hallway, Shepard let her mask slip away, staring longingly down at the man who had haunted her dreams for years, the man she had fallen in love with and whose death she had mourned, not knowing that the man on the ground both was and wasn't that man simultaneously.

* * *

><p>AN: So, did you follow all that?

Yes, I just made the last twenty-something chapters nothing more than a vision inside his head linked to a Prothean beacon. I'm quite proud of that one, actually. Gives me new ground to work with, especially now that Nick has all the memories of his other self; you know, the one who totally romanced _Commander Freaking Shepard?!_ So… let the chaos begin…


	33. Chapter 33 Coming To Terms

A/N: Wow. I must say, I think the last chapter netted the most reviews I've ever had for a single chapter. It certainly got a couple of the LONGEST reviews I've ever had. Though a couple of the short ones were my absolute favorites. Like "the fuck just happened?" "Really? Read all that for fuck all." and "I'm so confused."

Also, I think I kind of enjoy being called a troll by one reviewer.

One Over Infinity: dear lord, you covered so many things, I'm not even going to try answering it all. I shall merely respond with: yes. (I'm fully aware that tells you absolutely nothing, but that's half the fun) Also, thanks for the idea of minor plot tweaks. It gives me ideas... *insert evil laugh here*

* * *

><p>Into the Fire<p>

Chapter 33

Ian, Brendan, Art, Joc, and Kyriash all looked towards the door as Liara stepped through. Noticing the look on her face, Ian stepped forward, asking, "What's wrong Liara?"

The Asari looked up at him, her brow ridge furrowed, "Commander Shepard called Nick _Ethan,_ and acted as though she knew him."

Brendan stood up from where he was sitting, "That doesn't make any sense. Nick's been here with us the whole time we've been in this universe. There's no way she could know who he is unless…"

As he fell silent, Joc leaned closer, asking, "Unless what?"

Art interjected before Brendan could respond, "Unless nothing. There simply must have been someone here actually from this universe that looked like Nick. There isn't anything else it could have been."

Brendan shot him a glare, before speaking, "Actually, that's not true; there could have been another version of Nick from another dimension." Art merely scoffed at that, but Brendan continued, "What, you think that's so far fetched? We're all from another dimension other than this one; if we came from a different Earth, there's no rules anywhere that say that it only can happen once in each universe; that there can't be others from other universes."

Kyriash nodded, "He has a point. We'll just have to wait and see what Nick says once he wakes up. He might have more of a clue than we do about what's going on."

Joc held up a hand slightly to get everyone's attention, before asking, "So do we still call him Nick? Or should we call him Ethan, so Shepard doesn't get suspicious?"

Ian was the first to speak up, "We should probably call him Ethan around Shepard, or her crew. But when it's just us we can still call him Nick."

Ian opened his mouth to say more, but stopped when footsteps were heard from the hall. They all turned just as Shepard walked in, Ashley and Wrex in tow behind her. She looked at the group, before asking, "Well? Are you coming?"

Not waiting for an answer, Shepard took up a position outside the door, watching. Shrugging, Brendan and Ian went to retrieve Nick, leaving the rest of them to gather their supplies.

* * *

><p><em>"Ethan."<em>

_Turning, he lowered the pitchfork to the ground, stretching, as Jonathan Shepard walked over to him. "Yes, sir?"_

_He smirked for a moment, "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me 'sir?'"_

_Ethan smiled back. "As many times as it takes."_

_Jonathan shook his head, before becoming more somber, "What was it you wanted to talk to me about, Ethan?"_

_Letting out a sigh, he gestured for the older man to follow him, walking a short distance to the fence nearby. Leaning against it, he spoke, "You've already gathered by now that I'm a rather... unique individual, I assume?" Jonanthan nodded, so he continued, "What I haven't told you is that I'm from another dimension. One where the relays, the Citadel... none of them actually exist, except in a video game. One in which your daughter is the main character. That's what brought me here to your farm."_

_Jonathan was silent for a time, seemingly digesting this information. Finally, without turning to look at him, he asked, "What aren't you telling me?"_

_Wincing, Ethan finished, "Mindoir will be attacked by Batarian slavers. She's supposed to be the only survivor of the Shepard family."_

_At this, Jonathan turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised. "Supposed to be?"_

_Ethan stood up, and began pacing. "I've come up with an idea to save you, your wife and son, but without Marie knowing about it, to preserve the timeline. I contacted the Shadow Broker and traded him information in exchange for saving your lives."_

_Mr. Shepard stood, stepping closer to him. "The Shadow Broker? Wouldn't that change the timeline itself, giving someone that powerful important information?"_

_Ethan laughed, a half-pitiful sound. "The information I gave him won't be relevant until much later; and it will give your daughter a powerful ally, instead of a powerful enemy. After all, I've already inadvertently altered the timeline just with my presence."_

_Jonathan just smirked, "You mean your growing relationship with my daughter?"_

_The older man laughed as all the color drained from Ethan's face, and he began stuttering, "I, uh, she, um, it-"_

_Jonathan placed a hand on his shoulder, quieting him immediately. "Boy, I may be old; I'm not blind. I saw it coming the moment the two of you laid eyes on each other. Having gotten to know you better, I can say that I even approve. If I didn't, you wouldn't still be on my farm." He let out a sigh, before asking, "Now, tell me about this plan of yours involving the Shadow Broker..."_

* * *

><p>Ethan let out a groan as consciousness slowly began to return to him. Memory seemed to come slowly, like mercury across cold glass. He felt a tingle in the back of his mind, a strange sense of wrongness. That, however, was quickly banished by the sound of a single, questioning voice.<p>

"Ethan?"

He forced his eyes open, squinting through the light to see a feminine figure sitting next to the bed he seemed to be lying down in. It didn't take long to make out the firey red hair, or the bright green eyes watching him like a hawk. The name came almost unbidden to his lips. "Marie?"

The woman smiled, a wide smile, as she picked up his hand, kissing the back of it while she held it. "So, you just couldn't help but poke around some old ruins and get yourself mind-fucked, could you?"

Ethan smiled, "You know me; can't help but touch shiney things."

Marie laughed, the sound seeming to echo through his mind, but the sense of wrongness just jumped right back into his mind. He tried to push it away, but it wouldn't listen, like an itch in the small of his back that he just couldn't reach.

His mind went blank, however, as someone stepped into the med-bay. Marie looked up, her commander mask slipping into place, releasing his hand. "Yes, miss T'soni?"

As his eyes fell onto the Asari, a tide of memories began flowing through his mind again, and he closed his eyes, trying to keep from being overwhelmed by the two clashing sets of memories, each fighting for control over his brain.

Shepard looked back down at him, concern evident in her voice as she asked, "Ethan? What's wrong?"

Biting back a gasp Ethan- _Nick _managed to say, "N-nothing. Just a bit of a headache. That beacon burned one hell of a vision into my skull. Just... I'm just trying to work through it all."

Marie gently patted his hand, "Alright. If you need anything, our doctor, Karen Chakwas, will help. We'll let you rest."

Before she stepped away, Nick gently grasped her hand, "Could you send in Ian? I'd like to talk to him for a minute. Then I'll sleep."

"Sure. I'll send him right in."

Nick kept his eyes closed as the door swished open and closed, trying to quell the storm of emotions flowing through his mind. As the door opened, he looked up, seeing Ian practically run over to his side. "Nick, what the _hell _is going on?!"

Letting out a sigh, he spoke, "Long story short, that beacon played out some long 'what-if' through my head, before downloading the memories of another version of me into my head. An alternate me who just happened to be in an extremely serious relationship with Marie."

Ian's brow furrowed. "With who?"

Letting out another sigh of frustration, Nick rolled his eyes and clarified, "Sorry, with Commander Shepard; and now I've got his memories too. Needless to say, my head hurts."

Ian rubbed his eyes, before asking, slowly, "Let me get this straight; there actually was another version of you, who was in a relationship with The Commander Shepard, and you have his memories? How?"

Nick shrugged. "He died while connected to a Prothean beacon, trapping part of him inside. So when I connected to that beacon in those ruins, I guess it recognized me as him, and data-dumped everything into my head. Lucky me."

Ian stared at him for a moment, before saying, "So... What're you going to do about Liara, hm? Or Shepard for that matter?"

Nick gave the other man an incredulous look. "I just woke up; I'm still trying to sort out the four dimensional jigsaw puzzle inside my skull. Why the fuck would you think I would even _begin _to know what I'm going to do?!"

As he finished talking, Nick felt a stabbing pain in his temples, his hands moving to his head as a moan unconsciously left his lips. Ian put a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, relax; I'm not trying to stress you out I was just curious. Look, why don't you try sleeping some more, work through things a bit. We can talk later."

Nick merely nodded, lying back on the bed, holding his arm over his eyes. Staring at the inside of his eyelids, he asked himself, 'Who am I?'

For the first time, he wasn't so sure he could answer that question.

* * *

><p>Garrus looked up from the Mako controls as the elevator slid open, admitting Commander Shepard to the hangar bay. She strolled right up to him, more spring in her step than he had ever seen. "Commander?"<p>

She smiled at him, "Hey there, bird-face. How's the Mako?"

He laughed at her nickname for him, before shrugging, "It's running fine; at least, until you try to drive through yet _another _active volcano; or off _another _cliff; or maybe even _another _mountain."

Shepard smirked, "Admit it; I give you something to do to keep busy."

Garrus' face fell slightly, as he turned. "Yeah; of course, now that my sister's here... snuggling with some _human_..." He glanced over, noting the look on Shepard's face, and held up his hands, "Uh, no offense."

She gently patted the Turian's shoulder, "Don't worry, V. If Ethan can vouch for this guy, I'm sure he's probably a good guy for your sis."

Garrus raised a single eye-ridge. "Yeah, about that; I thought you said he died back on Mindoir?"

Shepard's face took on a crest-fallen look. "So did I, Garrus. But there never was a body; just what had to be gallons of blood everywhere."

Noticing the slight shaking of the Commander's hands, he gently took her hand in his own. As she looked up to him, questioningly, he just smiled. "Well he's here, now; so there's nothing to worry about anymore. Right?"

She nodded, smiling. "Yeah; you're right. Thanks, V."

He smirked as he returned to the console. "Anytime... monkey." His smile grew as Shepard's laughter echoed through the hangar bay.

* * *

><p>Nick grimaced as the doctor gave him yet another shot. "How many more times do you have to stab me with those stupid needles?"<p>

Chakwas merely smirked as she pulled the needle out. "That should be the last of them. You don't really like needles, do you?"

Nick involuntarily shuddered, "Guh, I _loathe _needles!" As the doctor's laughter sounded out, Nick looked up at her, and solemnly asked, "Doctor, I have a somewhat serious and personal question to ask."

She looked down at him, and seeing the look on his face, pulled up a chair. She sat down, questioning, "Yes?"

Nick let out a sigh, before asking, "Hypothetically speaking, let's say a person suddenly finds himself with two completely different sets of memories, both conflicting with one another. And in those two sets of memories, there's a different... well, love interest, for lack of better term... who's involved. Everything else aside, how would this person deal with something like that? Hypothetically speaking, of course."

Doctor Chakwas looked down at him for some time, examining him. She smirked slightly as she replied, "Well, hypothetically speaking, I would recommend that such a person thoroughly examine both sets of memories, and then promptly forget both sets."

Nick's brow furrowed in confusion. "Doctor?"

She smiled as she continued, "I would have him forget both sets of memories, and focus on what his heart told him." Her smile grew, "Beyond that, I might recommend a psychiatrist to help deal with potential schizophrenia." A mischievous twinkle lit up her eyes as she finished. "_Hypothetically speaking_, of course."

Eyes wide, Nick nodded. "Uh, t-thank you, doctor."

Still smiling, she patted his shoulder, "It's no problem, dear. It's what I'm here for. Now, unless you have any more hypothetical questions to ask, you're free to go get yourself something to eat. I'm sure being on an IV for nine days is enough to work up anyone's appetite."

Nodding, Nick gingerly got to his feet. "Now that you mention it, I am pretty hungry. Thanks, doc."

"Now go on; I have important things to work on."

Nick smiled as he walked out of the med-bay, immediately moving towards the mess hall. It only took him a moment to familiarize himself with the food despenser, Ethan's memories popping up and showing him how to operate the device well enough to pull a meal out of it.

Taking the meal, he sat down at the table, only to find himself sitting directly across from Kaidan Alenko. Looking up at him, he nodded, "Hi."

The lieutenant looked up at him from a data pad in his hand, before setting it down on the table. "Hey; you must be Ethan. Nice to meet you. The name's Kaidan."

Nick nodded, "Nice to meet you."

A slightly awkward silence followed, as neither of them knew what to say. Trying to seem busy, Nick began eating his ration, taking the first bite, and quickly regretting it. It took all his willpower not to gag. Kaidan, seeing the look on his face, smirked. "So, not used to military rations, then?"

Swallowing down the food, Nick gasped slightly. "Rations? Jeeze, I think I've eaten _cardboard _that tasted better than that!"

Kaidan's smile grew, "So I take it you had slightly better rations down on Therum?"

Nodding, Nick took a drink of water before replying, "Oh yes, definitely. Liara and her mother may not have talked in years, but she is still the daughter of a powerful Asari matriarch. She does have resources at her disposal. Like real food. Blegh." Kaidan laughed as Nick forced another bite down. "You know, I _was _hungry before I grabbed this."

Kaidan gestured to the food, "Be grateful you're not a biotic; then you'd have to eat twice as much of that slop."

Nick awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, "Actually... I am a biotic."

The other man's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh. Well damn; tough break, then." A thoughtful look crossed his face, before he reached down to his pocket and pulled out a wrapped package. "Here; have a protein bar. You'll probably need it pretty soon, especially if you end up groundside. It doesn't taste that great, but it's better than standard rations."

Nick took the proffered bar, nodding, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

As he unwrapped the protein bar, Nick asked, "Say, do you think you could train me to use my biotics better? Liara's been trying during our downtime, but she learned her basics about a hundred years ago."

Nodding, Kaidan answered, "Sure. I'll check with the Commander to work out a training schedule."

The two of them fell into companionable silence as Nick continued to force the food down. It only took him a few minutes to finish, but he had barely done so when Commander Shepard strode into the room, and seeing him, spoke, "Ethan, could you come with me please?"

Nodding, he stood and followed her, his adrenaline levels spiking as he realized she was leading him to her quarters. As they stepped into the room, the door had scarsely closed behind him when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso, squeezing the air out of his lungs. He gingerly put his arms around her, trying his hardest to ignore the pulling sensation on his heartstrings as he realized the Commander was sobbing.

"Y-you were gone, Ethan. I heard th-them drag you out of th-the barn... Then the g-gun shot... oh god, _Ethan_..."

"Shhh... It's ok..." Nick bit his lip as he rubbed his fingertips up and down her back, holding Marie in his arms as she thoroughly soaked the shoulder of his shirt with her tears. The two sides of his mind warred over what to do, what to say to the woman in his arms.

However, both sides of his mind went blank as Shepard looked up to him, and gently leaned up, pressing her lips to his. The kiss remained chaste, and as she pulled away, looking into his eyes, both sides of his brain said the same thing; 'whoa.'

As she looked up at him, she asked, "Where were you, Ethan? What happened?"

Nick pulled away, pacing as he tried to organize his thoughts. "Shepard... Marie... you wouldn't believe me if I told you. I'm not just saying that, either; I mean you absolutely will not believe a word of it."

Shepard looked up at him, her eyes glistening from unsure tears. "I don't care. I need to know."

Looking up towards the ceiling, Nick let out a sigh, before speaking, "Ok. My name is not Ethan; and actually, his name wasn't Ethan, either. His name, and my name, is actually Nick Perry. He and I were both from a different dimension, one where none of this existed. No Citadel, no aliens, none of it. The difference is, he ended up on Mindoir before the Batarians attacked, and I ended up on Therum with Liara, just a few weeks ago."

Shepard interrupted him, "So you and he are actually two different people?"

Nick shrugged, "Sort of; we're almost identical, but from two different worlds. Long story short, he did end up dying, but not on Mindoir. He died later on, and while connected to a Prothean beacon. It trapped part of his mind inside the beacon network, which was downloaded into my head when I connected to the beacon. So I now have all of his memories and experiences as well as my own." Nick's shoulders sagged, as he finished, "I now have two sets of feelings for two different women from two different lives, and I don't know what to do."

Shepard was quiet as she asked, "Liara is the other woman, I take it?"

He nodded. "Yeah; she actually came to my Earth first, and I had to save her from my government. I'll admit, I like her. Not that we ever did anything beyond being friends. But..." Nick shook his head, stepping over to the wall, smacking his forehead against the surface, his fist following suite, hitting the wall. "I have memories of buying you an engagement ring, damnit! I remember that night on the hill overlooking your farm, where I... I mean he gave himself to you! I can feel every single emotion that Ethan felt, as strongly as he felt them. I just... I don't..." He looked at her, before turning away in shame. "I don't know what to do; I don't know who I am anymore."

Nick stood there, afraid of what she would say, when he felt a hand gently pull him away from the wall, spinning him to face her. Looking up into his eyes, she again kissed him gently, before pulling away. "You are who you chose to be, Ethan... Nick, whatever. No matter what else happens, remember that." With those words, she took his hand and led him to her door. As it opened, she turned to face him. "I'll be waiting for your decision, Ethan. You just figure out who you are." She turned and walked back into her quarters, her hips swaying from side to side just a little more than natural. Glancing over her shoulder, she smirked at him, "Just make sure you don't take too long."

With that, the door closed in his face, leaving Nick standing there, staring at the door, utterly flabbergasted. "...the fuck just happened?"

* * *

><p>Shepard leaned against the door as soon as it had closed, and rubbed her eyes. "What the fuck am I doing?"<p>

She began pacing, wrapping her arms around herself. She tried her best to control her breathing, to stay calm.

"So... he is dead; he did die. But now he's still alive... sort of... inside Nick's head... and the two of them were both from another world, another _universe_..." Marie stopped in place, her eyes growing wide with realization. "But Nick trusted me enough to tell me. Ethan couldn't even tell me that, and he nearly proposed to me; but Nick did..."

A giddy smile began to spread across the Commander's face, as she dropped herself down at her desk, humming as she picked up her reports to work on.

* * *

><p>"...And this is how you properly disassemble the chassis of the standard Avenger assault rifle."<p>

Brendan let out a low whistle. "Damn; that's a hell of a lot more complicated than anything I'm used to working with."

Ashley just smirked. "I never said it was easy. Besides, you were the one who volunteered to help with gun maintenance. Don't tell me you're backing out now."

Brendan's eyes lit up with an internal fire. "Fuck that; I said I'd do it, and so help me I'll figure this stuff out if it's the last thing I do!"

Ashley's smirk grew. "Careful what you wish for; you botch up gun maintenance, and when you try to fire your gun, it just might end up _being _the last thing you do."

Brendan looked down at the gun with a little more trepidation. After a moment, he looked up to Ashley, asking, "Maybe I should watch you do it a few more times, just to make sure I know what I'm doing."

The Chief just smirked. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea." She was quiet for a few minutes as she began to disassemble another gun, before she spoke again, "So, what kind of family do you come from? What're they like?"

Brendan's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Well, if I had to summarize a bit, they're a bit crazy at times."

Ashley smirked, "Whose family isn't at least a little crazy?"

Laughing, he nodded, "You've got a point there. They've always been there for me, easy to depend on. Heh, sometimes they can even be fun to be around. Most of them grew up as blue-collar workers, and the past few generations, a number of them were in the service.

The Chief turned and regarded him, an eyebrow raised. "Really? Which branch?"

Brendan thought quickly, replying, "Oh, each family member went to different branches of service."

Ashley nodded, "Gotcha. Well, it sounds a lot like my family, actually."

Happy for the potential topic change, Brendan asked, "Well, what's your family like?"

Ash just shrugged, "Eh, nothing special. I've got two sisters, neither of them military. Overall, they're pretty fun to be around, no big family feuds or anything." She opened her mouth to say more, but changed topics as she watched him try his hand at disassembly. "Hey, be careful with that piece; if you damage that chip there, the gun won't be able to fold into storage mode. Or it'll lock into storage mode."

Brendan nodded, "Thanks. That would be bad."

Ashley laughed, shaking her head. "Bad doesn't even begin to cover it. Anyways, the Williams family is a pretty close bunch."

Brendan nodded as he worked, gingerly holding a tiny screwdriver to the chassis of an avenger rifle. "They really do sound like a nice family."

Nodding, the Chief replied, "Yeah, they are. Say, maybe sometime we could meet each others' folks; I certainly enjoy talking with other ground-pounders."

Brendan momentarily froze, before forcing himself to laugh it off. "Sure; might be a while, though. They aren't exactly... in the neighborhood." He paused, before noticing a weapon on the far side of the bench. "But, if you'd like, we could always test out that new grenade launcher over there instead; call it a placeholder, I guess."

She smirked as she spoke, "Sure; it's a date, then."

Ashley laughed as Brendan fumbled with a pistol he had been moving at the word 'date.' "I, uh, well, if that's what, I mean..."

She patted his shoulder. "Relax; it was a figure of speech."

He nodded, "Yeah. Right. Got it."

Ashley handed Brendan a water bottle, waiting until he began drinking before turning around, walking towards the elevator as she spoke over her shoulder, grinning. "Of course, now that you mention it, you do have a nice ass."

The sound of choking and coughing filled the hangar bay for the next several minutes.

* * *

><p>Ian looked up to Solana nervously as they rode the elevator down. "You're sure this is a good idea, Kyr- I mean, Solana? What if he just wants to gut me for dating his little sister?"<p>

The female Turian rolled her eyes, a human gesture she had picked up. "He's not going to gut you, Ian. I promise. Granted, he might _maim _you a little..." She smiled as Ian went pale. "I'm kidding; you'll be fine. Just don't say anything stupid." Solana was quiet for a moment, before she corrected herself. "Actually, just try not to say anything at all."

Ian shot Solana a look, one eyebrow raised. "Gee, thank you so much for that vote of confidence in my abilities. It's nice to know you have such a high opinion of me."

Solana put one arm over his shoulder, nuzzling his head with the side of her mandible. "Of course I do. We wouldn't be in a relationship if I didn't."

She pulled away from him, just as the doors slid open, revealing the hangar bay. As they stepped out, Ian began to backpedal. "You know, how about you talk to him first, soften him up a bit? I'll just go wait upstairs-"

He didn't get to finish his statement as Solana grabbed his arm, pulling him along. "Come on. We're talking to him together, _now_."

Ian couldn't get his thoughts together to speak before he suddenly found himself standing before Garrus. The older Turian looked between the two of them, his face strangely expressionless. "Hello, Solana. It's been a while."

Solana replied, "Yeah; I know Garrus."

Letting out a sigh, he leaned against his console. "Sol, why are you out here? You should be home, taking care of mother."

Solana shook her head, her own stance relaxing slightly. "I couldn't, Garrus. I needed to make more money to support her; the last batch of treatments didn't work, and we... we couldn't afford..."

As her shoulders sagged, Garrus stepped forward and took his sister into his arms. "I'm sorry; I didn't know. I've been sending what money I could, but I didn't know it was that bad."

Solana took a deep breath as she stepped away. "Dad didn't want you to know. He wanted you to continue your work at C-sec. He was so proud when you became a detective, Garrus. He won't be happy when he finds out you're following a Spectre."

Garrus began to smirk, as he shot back, "I can't imagine he'll be any happier to find out you're dating a human."

Ian suddenly felt himself the focus of two highly evolved predators, and had to resist the instinct to run and hide. "Oh; so you already figured that one out?"

Still smirking, Garrus nodded, "It was hard not to notice, with how close you two were standing when you came aboard the ship, and how you were talking to one another in quiet, hushed tones. My sister sometimes forgets that her sub-vocal harmonics don't quite go away when she whispers." His smile grew as Solana began shuffling in place, likely embarrassed.

Ian took a deep breath, asking, "So you're not upset?"

The smile disappeared from the Turian's face as he stepped closer to Ian. "Shepard trusts Ethan, and from what she tells me, he seems to trust you. That's enough for me to give you the benefit of the doubt. _For now_. Break my sister's heart, however, and I'll break your spine. Repeatedly. Do I make myself clear?"

Ian, eyes wide as saucers, nodded. "C-crystal."

The smirk retrned to his face, as Garrus leaned back against the Mako, his seemingly happy demeanor returning, acting as though he hadn't just threatened Ian's life. "Good. Now, who's up for lunch? I'm starved."

* * *

><p>Nick paced through the mess hall for what felt like the billionth time, glancing towards the med-bay door before shaking his head and resuming his pacing. He knew he needed to go talk to Liara, and probably soon. Unfortunately, each time he thought he had made up his mind to go see her, flashes of the simulated timeline popped into his head, showing the faux relationship that had never actually happened, which in turn caused him to turn around and pace instead.<p>

He knew he still liked Liara, but with the turmoil of emotions spinning through both his mind and his heart, he wasn't entirely sure if that was enough anymore. 'Besides,' he thought to himself, 'Its not like I'm going to live a thousand years; I'll maybe hit a hundred, a hundred twenty years old at most. It's not like that would be fair to Liara, either.'

The more he tried to think about it, the more he realized he wasn't listening to his heart. Finally, he sat down at the table, and closing his eyes, emptied his mind as best he could. Not really knowing what else to do, he mentally pictured Liara in his mind. Not really noticing anything, he pictured Shepard in his mind. This got a reaction, with a strange warm sensation spreading throughout his chest.

With a sigh, Nick stood up, and walked over to the Commander's cabin. Pressing the door chime, he waited a few moments, before Marie appeared at the door, in her uniform pants and a white tank top. As she saw him, her eyes lit up in surprise. "Hey; didn't expect to see you back so soon."

Nick nodded, glancing down at the floor. "Yeah; I've been doing some thinking, followed by less thinking and more feeling, as Chakwas recommended."

Shepard just smirked, "That woman does seem to be a lot smarter than people give her credit for." She waited a moment, before asking, "And?"

Taking a deep breath, Nick asked, "I was wondering if you'd like to watch a vid with me?" Seeing her quizzical look, he explained, "Ethan knew you, Shepard. However, I'm not him; I'm me. And I'd like to get to know you myself. Not through someone else's memories."

Softly smiling, she stepped off to one side. "Well, I was about finished with my reports anyways; would you like to come in?"

Nick smiled back, before nodding. "Yes; I think I'd like that."


	34. Closing Notice

Ok, I'm going to admit something to you all; this change was my last hurrah for Into the Fire. As has been pointed out to me by more than a few people in PM's, what I did to try to save this story was a cheap writing tactic. I'll be frank, I made numerous mistakes with this story, including letting it run away from me, instead of just sticking to a plausible story (Plausible for a sci-fi, anyways).

So rather than try to keep a failing story on life support, I'm going to give this story up. Yes, I know this is the second time I've done this, and it twists my gut into knots thinking about it. However, I'd rather take a third shot at a new story, than try to put duct tape over a botched story.

Anyways, you know how the saying goes; third time's a charm, right?

But don't worry; ironically, I already thought up an entire plot for a new story that was originally going to be a part of this story. So hurrah for redundancy, and here's to hoping I can not fuck this next one up.

Yeah… here's to hoping…


End file.
